Abstract: Apple has created a significantly higher standard for online mobile advertising. This article outlines their ad network, iAds, and the release of a new app "iAds Gallery".
Available only in the US App Store, one requires a US credit card or gift card in USD. The app itself is a semiotic symbol of how important online advertising is today.
The article outlines the various features of the app, such as the ability to mark favourites. Interestingly, the article notes that this is much like a portfolio of the iAds department's work. Article Title: Settlement in George Hotz Case
Abstract: George Hotz released the PS3 Jailbreak publicly on Jan 26. It finally allowed end users to make changes to their PS3's pre-installed OS, and run pirated games. However, very shortly Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) attempted to silence Hotz with a lawsuit claiming infringement.
This blog post today announces that Hotz has decided to give in to SCEA's demands and stop distributing the hack. It is a significant blow to the jailbreak community, and will set precedent to others thinking of creating and distributing hacks for consoles. Interestingly, only a few years ago the DMCA was amended to allowjailbreaking of mobile telephones only. Unfortunately, the freedom has not yet penetrated other consumer electronics that are purchased and owned "just the same".
Abstract: In 1993 there was a comic with a dog saying to another dog, "on the Internet, no one knows you're a dog". This article looks at why this is not true anymore. This article examines how sits are now tracking usage and search patterns of users, and in some cases, without their awareness. It also points out that most consumers are actually implicitly fine with this. Although collecting usage patterns for users may seem like privacy invasion, it can actually be advantagous to both advertisers and consumer: it's a win-win. Consumers get targeted, personalized ads that they care about, and advertisers get a better click-through rate. Finally, this article demonstrates how traditional media, like newspapers and TV, is being sidelined and overtaken by new media because of one primary factor: the capability of advertising to a highly-targeted and highly-specific audience.
Abstract: This article looks at the relatively new field of Online Reputation Management (ORM). This field is still rather new, so the literature and tools are still developing. This article provides a nice 'primer' as to what Online Reputation Management is, and it provides a market survey of the key tools. The article explains that ORM is a way of managing an individual's or a corporation's image online. It is inevitable that some negative content against a corporation will be published in some form online. This includes negative reviews, comments on social networks, blog posts or articles, among other things. It then goes on to explain that online reputation is extremely crucial for a company to maintain, because it is directly related to the bottom-line. This article argues that ORM can be done without hiring a professional firm. A company simply has to do a Google Search (and possible a Google Blog search) using the name of the company and specific negative terms. Finally, the article outlines and reviews three online firms that provide ORM services: ReputationDefender, RemoveYourName, and Integrity Defenders. The article closes with saying that ORM is not something that is done once and brushed to the side. Rather, it is a c
Article Title: The Difference between Web Reporting and Web Analysis Article Source: Kaushik.net Article Author(s): Avinash Kaushik (THE author on Web analytics) Reviewed by: Timur Khamitov
Abstract: The article aims to differentiate between simply reporting on web activity and providing meaningful analysis and insight and how to differentiate between the two. The main thesis for differentiating the two is:
“If you see a data puke then you know you are looking at the result of web reporting, even if it is called a dashboard. If you see words in English outlining actions that need to be taken, and below the fold you see relevant supporting data, then you are looking at the result of web data analysis.”
To provide meaningful insight and analysis, the analyst must have a good understanding of business priorities, custom reports, advanced segments and provide some meaningful, actionable conclusion.
Some of the things that indicate analysis vs. reporting: 1. Actionable suggestions for business to take. 2. Economic value. 3. Context is queen.
The paper concludes that web reporting is easy and rarely useful. Analysis is hard and almost always useful.
Tags: web analytics avinash kaushik
Article Title: How the figher shot 35 days worth of fight scenes in only three days Article Source: Signal vs Noise Article Author(s): Jason Fried, 37signals.com Reviewed by: Timur Khamitov
The article analyses the filming techniques used in the film “The Fighter” and compares the approach used in filming it to the way progressives business think.
The fighter was filmed in a total of 33 days, with experts predicting that It would take 35 days to just film the fight scenes which actually took 4 days. The reason being, the approach to filming the movie was drastically different; it was much more raw, unrehearsed and authentic. Rather than choreographing every move and making sure it was perfect; Mark Wahlberg went for the raw, authentic fight scene and the result was enormous success and Oscars.
This is all transcribes to the key questions businesses should be asking themselves: what problem are you solving? Lean, raw and to the point is a strength these days. Challenge the norm.
Article Title: It’s time for advertising and social media to work together Article Source: Creativity Unbound Article Author(s): Edward Boches Reviewed by: Jamika Kerr
Abstract: In this article, Edward Boches, who is… has developed an approach to social media advertising by combing traditional advertising strategies and conversation. He presents his findings by providing the reader with 5 important factors to keep in mind when creating a advertising strategy on Facebook. His first tip states that no one on Facebook actually wants to fan a brand (with some exceptions such as Coke) but if they see a brand that they know and trust they are inclined to become a fan. The main point here is that it’s not enough to just create a fan page; you have to advertise it as well. This corresponds with his second tip when he states that 90% of fans never actually visit the page unless they have a reason to, such as a contest or offer. His third point states that as an advertiser, you shouldn’t artificially narrow your audience. When you narrow your audience on Facebook you’re assuming that people have entered this information on their profile when this is not necessarily the case. Lastly, Boches states that conversation strategy is key, you need a plan for what to do with all the fans that you generate. Boches closes with a message taken from Kevin Colleran, Facebook’s 6th employee and business development leader: targeting + creative + conversation strategy = the most effective social media marketing. Tags: Facebook, Advertising, Social Media, Market Targeting, Conversation Strategies Article Title: Online Advertising: Worth the Investment Article Source: Canadian Marketing Association Blog, http://www.canadianmarketingblog.com/ Article Author(s): Albert Motz Reviewed by: Mackenzie Ellis
Abstract:
This article addresses the use of online advertising within the realm of B2B marketing. The constant bombardment of banner ads, box ads, and pop ups have diluted the online sphere to the point where advertising no longer is expected to directly cause buyers to purchase services or products. In the article Motz proposes ways marketers should utilize online advertising in order to maximize results. His five suggestions include: target buying cycle, leveraging social advertising, generate awareness, integrate into inbound efforts, and lastly measuring results.
Tags: B2B, online advertising, CMA, Canadian Marketing Association Article Title:eBranding Becomes Mandatory for Surviving the Digital Age
We had two great speakers come into our class to talk to us about personal branding. There’s only so much one can say on the same topic. I will however, credit Dan Schawbel with succinctly and convincingly informing his readers about the necessity of adopting a personal brand in the Internet Age. Everyone is doing it. And more importantly, everyone can. Students, companies, entrepreneurs - we all have something to offer and something to advertise. There’s nothing new about that. Selling a product, an idea or a specialized skill is how our economy runs and how we put food on the table.
The important shift that has occurred in recent years is how we make that happen. According to Schawbel, that happens by creating an e-brand. Your audience, whether it’s your dream company, a customer you want to nab or someone you want to work with, they don’t just want to know what you offer, they want to know who you are. A flat resume with a bullet list of skills and a series of past job experiences is simply not enough. What makes you stand out? Why are you unique?
How you react to this new demand is up to you. The way I see it, employers these days actually give a shit about who you are, what your interests are and what kind of personality you have. Let your e-brand shape the way you see yourself, let it be a way to highlight not just your skills, but your positive personality traits and unique quirks. Different is good, different is great. Embrace it. Flaunt it. Get off your ass and create an e-brand!
How? Follow Schawbel’s 4-part process: Discover, Create, Communicate and Maintain. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Discover what you want your brand to offer, make it, let others know about it and keep it current.
This article outlines the internet as a virtual storefront for all companies. however, since online marketing has blown up over the years, companies use it as a personal branding tool and advertisement. This paper researches how the internet boosts companies exposure and success. This process is evaluated through the study of traditional marketing practices, the types of products and sales are available online and why there is not as much available online anymore. There is a close study about the advantages and disadvantages about online marketing as well as an interesting charts outlining Channel choice functions and Classifications of products.
I find this article is very informative regarding online marketing as a tool for businesses. I believe that it is informative for businesses that are interested in starting to advertise online. This article outlines the basics of how online marketing can help and also the requirements that work. For example, depending on the companies missions statement and field, it is important to understand whether your audience will need the internet to access it. If the business’s audience will be seniors or a family owned mechanic shop, online marketing may not help the business excel although the exposure is present. I find this article targets the most important factor about online marketing, expanding horizons and boundaries with clients. The internet opens a new door to advertising and the companies reach to people all around the world. Regardless if the people use the company or not, the audience is aware of it's existence through online marketing.
Article Title: How to Target the Right Social Media Sites
Article Sources: Re-posted by Darren Rowse on Pro Blogger
Article Author: Steven Snell (How's that for natural alliteration?)
Reviewed by: Mary Dytyniak
Abstract:
This was a comprehensive, detailed article that answers just about all the questions I can think of in regards to navigating through the often messy and complicated world of social media websites.
I won’t go through all of the topics Snell addressed in the article, but the main thing to take away from his overview of social media is that proper usage is the key to success online.
One thing to keep in mind is to target niche websites with less users in order to more easily and quickly gain attention. This grants you the ability to re-direct traffic and popularity to a larger social media website such as Digg or StumbleUpon.
Another thing to note is that one cannot possibly maintain a presence on 5000 websites at once. First off, no one has the time or energy. And secondly, it just looks bad. It’s like trying to be friends with everyone in five different conferences in the same building. Your interests will look scattered and your value will decrease. Invest in a few sites and concentrate your interests and online networking to the audience that cares the most and will reciprocate by following you.
Lastly, be aware of how each site operates. Don’t bumble onto the web space spamming up the place with content that you think is glorious and will garner loads of attention. Take a moment to step back and observe the social conduct of the site, what content is popular and how users share it. Would you show up to a party full of strangers and start yapping about how much you hate Michael Ignatieff? I’d certainly feel like an idiot if I found out I had walked into a room full of liberals.
Those are the key points I took away from the article. But that’s just me. The article is well organized, with each area of interest being covered under a neat subheading. Scroll through and read up on areas of social media usage you may not have even thought of. Traffic control, popularity, link sharing, widget use, audience consideration – this article covers just about everything.
Article Title: Print Advertising Vs Online Advertising Article Source: www.ezinearticles.com Article Author(s): Samanth Prinsloo Reviewed by: Kwang-Yun Cho
Abstract: Significant and rapid growth in number of Internet users motivated the escalation of the online advertisements. Countless number of companies invested in Internet advertising and the number keeps growing. The purpose of this journal was to gain insights of the effectiveness of online advertising. In the view of growth in the online advertisements, many companies are now experiencing dilemma of shifting from the traditional media to online. Researches show that large corporations are shifting from tradition advertising to online advertising. Online advertising is proven to increase sales and cost effective, simply generating more profit. However, print media advertisements are shown to be more effective in some cases. It is necessary for every company to thoroughly conduct and budget their marketing expense depending on the type of the business.
Tags: traditional media, Online Advertising, Cost effective marketing
Article Title: Increase Your Website Traffic With Online Advertising Article Source: www.sooperarticles.com Article Author(s): Justin Mark Reviewed by: Kwang-Yun Cho
Abstract: Online marketing is quickly becoming the most demanded area for many types of business. This article demonstrates methods to generate more traffic for businesses. Online advertisements tend to gain more publicity than any other types of advertising. At this moment, the most important medium of online advertising is the Website. There are PPC programs created just to generate more traffic for the websites. Online advertising allows the business to get creative with their marketing campaigns. It is more cost effective to send out emails to clients rather than creating more Websites. Online advertising methods such as email marketing have proven to be relatively cheap, takes less time and more cost effective. Email marketing service includes automatic bounce email handling, unsubscribe management and so much more.
Article Title: Top Companies Still Bashful over Social Media Presence
Article Source: Marketing Pilgrim
Article Author(s): Frank Reed
Reviewed by: Randheer Edachery
Abstract:
This article deals primarily with how the top 50 companies, or the “Fortune 50”, have reacted in accordance with the mass social media revolution. It displays, facts, numbers and statistics proving that even though social media is recognized worldwide as a mass marketing machine, several companies remain which have yet to realize its true marketing potential. “Only 44% of the Fortune 50 have any social media icons on their home pages, and 60% hide their Twitter streams.” This article clearly indicates and emphasizes the ignorance exercised by these companies with regards to massive, untapped marketing potential. It stresses how big companies are sometimes slower to catch on to trends that smaller companies take for granted. This is attributed to the fact that given their magnitude and reach, big companies don’t feel the need to further invest in enhancing their brand awareness and recognition.
The article also qualifies the ignorance on behalf of these companies, and attributes it mainly to the fear of transparency held by such big companies. In the event of a colossal mix-up, which occurs more often than not these days, big companies are afraid that their potential social reach might work negatively against them. “If they decide to become more transparent through social media they are exposed to the results of some of their less than ethical activities.” And so, in being afraid of a flood of negative publicity through social media channels, such companies effectively ignore the enormous potential to expand their target market and increase their revenue.
Tags: Social media, Transparency, Fortune 50
Article Title: Devaluation of “Friends”
Article Source: SteveRubel.com
Article Author(s): Steve Rubel
Reviewed by: Randheer Edachery
Abstract:
This blog post, by public relations mogul Steve Rubel, we dive into the social and entrepreneurial repercussions of the social web. The blog points out that due to one’s tendency to accept and invite strangers as “friends” on Facebook, society has lost its ability to trust in people like themselves. Survey studies have showed that people don’t know at least 20 percent of their friends of facebook, thus devaluing the ideologies behind friendship. These results are the aftermath of the phenomenon now known as “over-friending”.
Despite the decrease in trust between people in similar social standings, there has been an increase in trust with regards to authority and credentialed spokespeople. This can be attributed to the fact that we now provide for a public that is informed and knowledgeable like never before, and thus salespeople have to genuinely prove and establish their facts in order to gain trust. “This hits home the need to identify those with expertise inside a company who can engage across different channels, many of which today are digital - or will be soon.”
Finally, statistics from this blog prove that consumers need to be constantly informed and reminded of aspects in order to induce and persuade profitable action. In developed countries, this number is even higher – thus requiring companies to diversify across several different spheres of social media in order to better service the informed public.
Tags: Facebook, Unfriending, Over-friending, Devaluation
Article Title: Blogging Is Dead Article Source: The Social Media Marketing Blog Article Author(s): Scott Monty Reviewed by: Margarita Efstathiou
Abstract: Several specialists have declared blogging to be dead since 2007. However, in 2011 blogging has yet to seize existing. Once again experts try to analyze and give a prognosis on the turn social media will take in the following years. Will micro-blogging fully take over long-form content blogs in order to address a more attention seeking audience or are there still seek to find articles with deeper meaning. The author of the article discuses study results that indicate the differences between generations and how online content is consumed throughout the years. It is arguable that as we age we tend to prefer quality over quantity works and as a result we seem to spend more time on long-form content blogging rather that ‘twitting.’ In addition, the author urges the readers to be prepared for both scenarios discussed. In the long run both micro-blogging and long-form techniques can be incorporated and used in advantage of successfully conveying their message to the audience. These techniques might range from situation to situation. Creating smart headlines that signify the blog’s views in order to attract the more ‘attention-seeking’ readers but also linking and embedding pieces of quality and in-depth content that supports the blog’s views in more detail for the rest, are methods suggested in the article. However, in the end the hardest part is for the authors and creators of such blogs, and their choice of target audience as well as their choice of approach to the subject. Blog creators should therefore be prepared to face changing tastes and views on the subject while at the same time they will have to address their audience’s different preferences. Tags: blogging, trends
Article Title: How to take advantage of Twitter and Facebook to add to your company’s bottom line Article Source: BusinessReview.com
Article Author(s): Nadia Ibanez and Bill Byrne Reviewed by: Margarita Efstathiou
Abstract: Today’s companies try to keep up with the rest of the worlds trends. It is therefore the case that social networking integration into businesses is an upcoming trend. The author of the article supports ways that Facebook and Twitter can be used by companies to promote their products and at the same time not lose the ‘personal touch’
According to Bill Byrne, co-founder of a brand communication solutions agency, major companies, such as Intel and LG Electronics have successfully worked with social media advertising and branding campaigns.
The article touches upon issues that might be raised when self-promoting your business through free means of communication. As a result, “the public voice in social media should be in line with what the consumer expects and wants.” Due to the fact that the human experience is of utmost importance, social media techniques suggest a personal touch on the company’s brand.
In addition, ‘Twitting’ and ‘Facebooking’ are trends suggested as a means of communicating with the consumer. Nevertheless, overuse and poor timing of updates in social media has resulted in considering some brands as spam. When self-promoting your business, consider the target audience and their wants and needs before you write the next update. Finally, three common scenarios are offered in order to be prepared for the outcome of social networking in businesses. Businesses need to consider and plan their actions accordingly. Overnight successes are hard to come by, however in that case businesses should be prepared to scale for that growth. And lastly, it recommends a realistic plan of action for the business taking into account all previous problems but also the financials. Tags: Bill Byrne, brand communication, email marketing, Facebook, Intel, LG Electronics, Social Media, twitter
Article Title:Pay-per-click advertising puts small businesses on the big map Article Source:Financial Post Article Author: Denise Deveau Reviewed by: Gursimran Ghai
Abstract:
According to the president of the company Perma Brand Corp. the best way to advertise legitimacy and awareness is through PPC advertising. It is proven that for a small business, it is very possible to set up and generate a return. A combination of Google AdWords and Facebook advertising does a great job working together to advertise and promote a business. The Google part of this advertising is said to give awareness for the advertisement, but with a combination of Facebook advertisements, it gives more legitimacy especially since Facebook allows specific demographic advertising. He has stated that an advertising budget between $500 and $600 is a good budget for online marketing for his new product. Overall, this article gives a good understanding to pay-per-click advertising that helps in many scenarios especially for products that are still in the starting phase. PPC advertising is very flexible in terms of selecting keywords; however it is highly cautioned that this method of advertising is utilized correctly because without proper research, companies can waste a lot of time, money and effort. This article gives a good rundown on important elements of online PPC advertising with its features and tips to make it work for any given company.
Tags:PPC Advertising, pay-per-click Advertising, Google AdWords, Facebook Advertising, Small Business Advertising, Marketing Strategies, online advertising tips, SEO, Flexible Advertising, Social Media Marketing
Article Title:Online Ad Spending Exceeds Print, Hitting $25.8 Billion Article Source:Forbes Blog Article Author: Agustino Fontevecchia Reviewed by: Gursimran Ghai
Abstract:
This article basically outlines the financial facts of the way online advertising is dominating the print advertising that are available even with this recession. A market research firm eMarketer identified that there is a substantial increase in advertising online and that they have officially exceeded advertising in print media. As print marketing is seen to be on the decline, online advertising is growing by 3% in just 2010 and this is seen to be the tipping point. Companies like Yahoo and Google have grown impeccably where Yahoo doubled its earnings and Google profiting $2.2 billion mostly generated from its advertising. It is important to realize that not all media companies are able to adapt to online advertising and this article illustrates clearly that some companies failed at it. Online advertising is becoming increasingly popular not only because of its exposure but mostly because of its advantage over print advertising where advertisers can follow the demographic and results that can be derived from the advertisements.
Tags:Online advertising, Print advertising Vs. Online advertising, print media advertising, New York Times, Google, Yahoo, online advertising revenues, media
Article Title: Why Choose Online Marketing Article Source:Sooper Articles Article Author: Jim Anderson Reviewed by: Gary Li
Abstract: New media marketing has become the most successful method of promoting an enterprise within recent years. As marketing is a primary factor for a long and successful business, the Internet facilitates this process in a way that will ensure maximum exposure to what is being sold. Traditional marketing is becoming more expensive and slower to produce results. It also requires much more time and money. Online marketing is superior to traditional ways of marketing in almost every aspect, and here are the top 10 reasons online marketing out stands traditional marketing. Time, country restrictions, marketing effects, sales process, hours of operation, cost of media, limited advertising life span, cost per customer, customer support, and ongoing marketing information. Online marketing is all about saving you money, time, and effort; yet brings you the required results you seek and most of the time exceeds your expectations.
Tags: online, marketing, success, results, new media, top 10
Article Title: Internet Marketing - Effects on Industries Article Source:Ezine Articles Article Author: Matt Rhodes Reviewed by: Gary Li
Abstract: The Internet has brought media to a global audience, and in return, the interactive design of the Internet marketing provides instant responses and elicits responses creates a very unique quality of medium. The appeal of Internet marketing emphasizes a specific behavior or interest, rather than out to a broadly defined demographic. For example, since there many banks that offer their customers the ability to perform many banking tasks over the Internet, it is more convenient and faster than had their customer visited a bank branch.
Aside from the fact that Internet marketing has had a profound affect on the technology industry, it has hugely impacted the advertising industry. Consider the last Presidential election and how Internet marketing strategies had a growing impact on the electoral process. The Presidential candidates of 2008 utilized Internet marketing strategies to reach their constituents. It was estimated that at the time of the primaries, the candidates added on an average of 500 social network supporters per day to assist with getting their message out to the American public. Effective Internet marketing may have won the Presidential campaign in 2008 aside from raising a tremendous amount of money to fund the Democratic campaign for the presidency.
Tags: effective, marketing, industries, media uses, advertising, campaign, online
Article Author - Ken Fenyo Reviewed By - Sachin Mathur Abstract: This is an article that introduces mobile marketing to its readers and gets them aware on how mobile marketing works and how advantageous it is for our future. The article examines simple ways to enforce mobile marketing. Mobile Marketing could be explained in one of two ways, Firstly, it could mean marketing with or about a mobile device. Secondly it could also mean marketing in a moving fashion. In this article the author, talks about how simple mobile marketing could be. We do not need to create fancy apps to promote a company, mobile marketing could simply be done throughout text messaging also. More than a trillion texts are sent in year and text messaging is becoming a growing trend in our everyday consumer life.
Despite Mobile promotions being similar to promotions on other channels, there are a lot of differences also that they share with other channels. The similarities that they share are: the promotion needs to be relevant, have a catchy slogan to engage consumers etc. The differences include: Mobile offers a range of new capabilities that include barcode scanning and location based services, which allows marketers to reach consumers at the moment of choice.
Abstract: Everyone knows about Facebook�s tailoring ads according to a users profile and browsing habits. However, according to this article, Facebook is testing a new, even more personal and relevant form of advertising, based on user�s status updates and wall posts. For example, if someone posts �Um, I want pizza� in their status, Facebook will automatically bring up a pizza hut ad.
This article is interesting because once more it brings attention to the new age of marketing we are entering, where tailoring is key to success. As we learned in CCT 356, The more relevant the content of your ads are to consumers, the more likely you are to get them to buy your product (and less time and money you will spend targeting the wrong consumers).
However, an interesting remark is made in the end of the article by USC professor Hank Wasiak. Basically, what he means to say is that even though in theory, this highly personalized strategy should guarantee sales, it might not be well-received by consumers. Social-media users might be offended and boycott these ads if they feel their privacy id being violated.
Nonetheless, personalized and finely targeted ads, are definitely a trend to stay on the lookout for.
Tags: social media, personalization, targeting, niche market, advertising, profile, facebook
It is difficult to have a successful viral marketing campaign that force marketers have to give something away for free and gives people a reason to recruit others to spread it. YouTube introduced viral marketing to social media, proven with the prime example of BMW�s The Hire which is a short series of YouTube videos that turned 10 million views into 2 million BMW registrations. Other social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Digg, and Flickr followed suit to this online advertising method. This wave of online communication platforms caused companies to adapt to this current social media trend and integrate it with traditional marketing elements.
Like a virus, the influence of an individual becomes more powerful online when it is transmitted through social media that is shared amongst a crowd mentality that makes viral marketing successful. The content being widespread is dependent on social media as a tool to introduce the message and it is dependent on the concept of sharing so that users reinforce the message with others. These views become brand awareness and then hopefully converted into sales. For a campaign to become viral it must have outstanding content and the right demographic to spread it. Analytics must also identify the proper social networking sites for the content�s traffic to gain relevant attention.
As this trend of online promotion grows, bloggers are now also using this viral marketing technique by creating video and text posts with sage advice to gain readership and build online credibility and presence
Tags: online, advertising, marketing, viral, social media, internet, youtube, bmw
The growth in search advertising causes a decline in display advertising for news websites. Ads generated via search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, or Bing has increased whereas display ads on news have decreased in benefits. This means that online advertising is moving directly towards search engines rather than websites that generate less than accurate contextual advertising. Search engines make the highest revenue for advertising, followed by websites, television, and lastly newspaper. Personal advertising on news sites have also decline due to free online classified services such as Craigslist or Kijiji.
Search advertising does not only pertain to search engines. Social networking sites such as Facebook also provide advertisers and markets with detailed demographic data that allow creation of targeted customized ads. These personal information are high important as they can be mined to sell ads at a much higher rate, especially for local advertising. Also, the increased use of cell phones and smart phones give way for textual information to be used for mobile ads via customized text messages and emails that will not eat up memory for conservative data plans.
Abstract: This article mentions the reason social media advertising is a growing trend: social networking sites enable businesses to make advertising a part of the social experience, as opposed to the traditional interruptive nature of ads. The main focus of the post is the way Twitter -- one of the most popular social networking sites of 2010 -- took advantage of this trend by introducing new advertising options that made buying ads on Twitter easier. The three new advertising Twitter introduced on December 2010 were Promoted Tweets, Promoted Trends, and Promoted Accounts. The post provides links to case studies from companies such as Best Buy, jetBlue, and more, to give examples of how advertising on Twitter can be beneficial to a business. Since Twitter's advertising model is fairly new, the author did not have enough information to list ad specific best practices but instead lists general "Twitter best practices", such as "Share" information and photos about your business and projects that are in-development, "Listen" for comments, "Ask" for feedback, "Reward" by responding promptly and often, "Demonstrate leadership" by referencing to articles about your business, "Champion your stakeholders" by replying to tweets made by your followers, and "Establish the right voice" . The article provides links to other posts on how Twitter's new advertising model should be approached.
Social media marketing is a constantly evolving area within online advertising. This article presents information on five innovative thinkers who are redefining the way businesses can take advantage of social tools. The first of the five is Randi Zuckerberg, Marketing Director and spokesperson of Facebook. Since Facebook marketing is still a fairly new trend, Zuckerberg and her team go beyond creating marketing programs, and strongly focus on educating businesses/organizations on how to effectively grow their Facebook presence. Educational resources are readily available on the site, such as on the Facebook for Non-Profits Page and through web seminars. Secondly, Joe Fernandez, is the CEO and Co-founder of Klout, a website which calculates and measures a user's overall online influence. Klout is meant to redefine marketers' view of the audience, and make brands recognize the power of individuals. Brands are beginning to recognize influencers as not just typical customers, but business partners with whom relationships need to be built and managed. Chris Ramsey is the Co-Founder of Radian6, a company which attempts to create ways for social media marketers to analyze the results of their marketing programs. Ramsay recognized that online marketing is a "two-way communication platform" which requires brands to provide proactive customer service. Radian6 allows marketers to be aware of any online conversations about their brands, through social media monitoring, analysis and engagement. Suzie Reider, the Director of Display Advertising on Youtube, is in charge of creating campaigns that allow marketers to advertise alongside Youtube's content. Youtube's work with marketers redefines the concept of "display advertising" by creating marketing programs that both Youtube users and advertisers can benefit from, such as the recent marketing program for "Life in a Day", a documentary which gave Youtube users a chance to showcase their personal lives in the form of short videos. Chloe Sladden, the Director of Media Partnerships for Twitter, works to create new ways to use Twitter for content creation, audience engagement, news reporting, and as a marketing tool. Sladden and her team launched a Twitter Media blog in 2010, containing information on how to analyze, filter, and visualize tweets, and featuring best practices and case studies on transforming news and entertainment into journalism through tweeting.
Tags: social media, case studies, marketing, facebook, klout, radian6, youtube, twitter
People assume that getting a job through social media is an easy task. They're wrong! This article discusses how you can increase your chances of nabbing that dream job via social media. Of course, this is beneficial for us ICCITers especially when we're in the \verge of graduation and our folks are starting to ask for rent.
1. Review your online reputation Make sure to do some social media housekeeping and delete those drunken pictures from Cabo. Tailor your profile according to your intended career. If you want to become a model, now's a good time to buy Photoshop.
2. Know where to look It's you responsibility to find potential employers. You can use apps like Twellow, Tweetscoop, and Monitter to find those people involved in your desired job.
3. Communicate with the relevant players Don't be that guy/girl who asks... "You guys hiring?" Build an online relationship and repertoire. This way, you will be remembered in case they don't have anything available. Get involved: discuss, retweet, comment, like, share, lol, do whatever it takes to show that you are sociable, interested, and unselfish.
4. Be willing to learn Now, this doesn't mean you should sacrifice whatever knowledge you got. Just show people you are willing to grow and learn: ask for advice, discuss in groups, join groups, etc.
5. Don't limit yourself
Don't rely completely on social media. Utilize it with other offline/online career search strategies. Attend career seminars and working events, ask your career counselor to help you find an internship.
The first annual Launch conference was held a little over a week ago at the San Francisco Design Concourse. The conference exhibited various new entrepreneurial talents in the online and business community. This article looks at these the up and comers who may well be the next Facebook or Twitter. ICCITers keep these cool startups under your radar! Who knows, you might need these startups in the future or even inspire you to create your own.
Group{in}: Organize your work & personal lives Having troubles prioritizing your life? Group{in}, a mobile app, can make this easier for you. Essentially, it simplifies the group communications you already have making it easier for you to contact these groups and enjoyable.
Give2Gether: Democratized social fund-raising Want to raise funds for a cause? Give2gether can help. Apparently, the average donor gives 70 cents in common social media site such as Facebook and Twitter. Give2gether boasts $75 per person! What's their secret? The site makes donating a social interaction. Donors become friends and teammates with a common objective of contributing (donations are tracked).
News 360: News & multimedia on your iPad It's free! Need I say more? This IPad app has social media sharing features, collects thousands of news sources, has personalization, and remembers your favorite news stories.
Brand-Yourself: Manage your reputation We all have skeletons in our closets. With closets I mean Facebook or Twitter and with skeletons I mean drunken photos. "Bury" these unwanted things with Brand-Yourself. This can be really helpful if you have a business or looking for a job. Essentially, it is a great way to maintain you personal brand.
DARfm: A DVR for radio DARfm is like Tivo for your radio. It lets you record your favorite radio programs in case you missed them.
This article compares the social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, with respect to viral marketing. When it comes to viral marketing, Twitter is the most popular, with its friendly, public, easy to use medium. However, there are some disadvantages with respect to promotion. Public promotions can often hurt a brand, memes can sometimes lead to marketing disappearances, and message flooding can be misinterpreted as spam. For these reasons, many marketers are now looking into using Facebook as an alternative for promotion purposes. This is due to the fact that Facebook is private, and it's network-based nature can make it a greater tool for viral growth than Twitter. Further, the private nature of Facebook makes it suitable for optimizing and promoting one's brand, without the fear of it being labeled as 'spam'. With privacy comes a level of trust that's otherwise missing (like in Twitter). Therefore, Facebook seems to work as a better viral marketing tool than Twitter, even though Twitter is highly hyped up and is most popular.
Abstract: This article talks about whether blogging sites are pushing away the social media sites; thereby making them seem less important. Recent reports have shown that there is an increased shift from the usage of blogging sites towards social media sites. Questions are raised as to whether in fact the blog platform itself is being pushed aside in favor of social media sites. The article further goes on to differentiate the characteristics of blog sites to that of online social sites. It is said that blogs are highly focused around one theme or topic, whereas social sites have little or no focus. Also, the blog has the purpose to educate or inform its readers, thereby making it stick to the topic, but social sites have no such constraints on subject matter. There is also an educational value that blogs provide, as the main intent of a blog is to share useful information with readers. On the other hand, social sites provide a lot of information, majority of which may prove useful at all. Therefore, claims such as online blogging is being replaced by social media use may not be entirely accurate. Both the social gathering spots serve different purposes and they indicate a mutually exclusive and ongoing need for both.
Abstract: Despite the promising effects of proper search engine optimization (SEO), many smaller companies are not taking adequate advantage of it, nor do they plan on investing into SEO. This may be mainly attributed to the fact that many companies are not aware of the benefits of SEO. This article identifies SEO as the initiative to take advantage of the �indexing� features of search engines in such a way that when a certain keyword is searched, the company�s website will appear as a result. The article asserts that SEO should be a part of the company�s marketing strategy. It should be included as part of the company website�s design, and not simply �added on� afterwards. Companies should hire a qualified individual (or company) to implement their SEO � someone who is Internet-savvy with a background in Web programming, and someone who will guide the company in devising a successful key-word strategy. The article lists features that make certain websites more suited for SEO. These include: the accurate titling of each webpage, using descriptive headings, and using HTML-based websites instead of Flash-based websites. The article also states that a good SEO campaign should create new, quality links to the company's website in order to encourage linking (by other sites) and traffic. Having many unique and genuine links will increase the website�s rank and will immediately improve a company's SEO.
Tags: search engine optimization, SEO, online marketing, website ranking
Abstract: This article examines the implications of targeted ads. The author identifies two main schools of thought. The first view of targeted ads is positive. It states that ads placed according to behaviour are more effective than usual ads. This is because they appeal to people�s current interests; as a result, they are also more expensive � roughly 2.8 times more than a non-targeted ad. This is beneficial to publishers, who will make more money off of sold ad space, and advertisers, who will potentially profit from greater click-thru rates. The second view of targeted advertising is negative. It states that targeted ads disliked by the public because they are perceived as too invasive. For targeted ads to work, Internet users� online activities must be tracked. The article cites Berkeley University studies that concluded that young Internet users are �averse� to having their Internet activities tracked, and that websites should be forced to delete the private information that they freely collect. The author concludes with a question to which the answer is unclear: although behavioural targeted ads are worthwhile to advertisers and publishers, are they worth the invasion of privacy of the targeted user?
Abstract: This article is from a wiki based website that is similar to the better known Wikipedia, but this site is dedicated to topics revolving around new media. The entry on Online Advertising provides an in-depth look into the capabilities and advantages that marketing on the web can provide advertisers. It begins with a brief introduction and definition of online advertising, and also provides a distinction between legitimate advertising, and illegitimate, also known as spamming. The examples given for online advertising are limited here to spyware/adware, web banner, web portal, weblog, interactive broadband commercial, rich advertising (ex. flash, shockwave) and online promotional tools like e-mail marketing, although it states there are many more examples out there. The article then looks at the benefits of some of these strategies, like customization features which allow greater personalization of advertisements, and also how targeting specific consumers can aid marketing through tools such as Search Engine Optimization. Some of the ways in which advertisements are dealt with like (PPC) pay per click are discussed, and the places they are commonly found are web portals and affiliate programs. The article also deals with how to measure the effectiveness of online advertising through things like page views, click-through rates, and referrals. The last significant aspect of the article talks about some issues revolving around privacy and ethics due to the openness of the Web. Overall, this webpage can be a very valuable tool for those who are beginning to get an understanding of what online marketing is, the possibilities, the benefits of it, and things to avoid doing.
Tags: online advertising, web banner, blog, SEO, PPC, e-mail marketing, rich advertising, RSS, privacy & ethics, interactive media, spyware, customization.
Abstract: This article is meant for advertisers, or as stated in the first sentence, a marketing manager, who is dealing with multiple aspects of a campaign strategy or aspects of a website, and needs a place to be able to read multiple data charts in one dashboard. When creating an online campaign there are numerous aspects that need to be accounted for before execution of the campaign, and then also the analysis afterwards. The article discusses why a media dashboard where you and your advertising team can view and account for all the separate parts of the campaign strategy in one spot is ideal. It even gives readers a link to a place where you can download that kind of dashboard. There are eight basic charts that Melchor suggests for a websites online campaign, including, website activity, website referrals, offline activity, media spend, monthly media mix, digital activity, QR code activity, and social media activity. Of course they are only suggestions, and the content will be transformed for each specific campaign purpose. Melchor states that it is simple enough that anyone with basic Excel skills could handle it fine. This type of tool can give advertisers/marketers a better comprehension of varying details like money spent in the campaign and click-through rate of certain advertisements, and can also aid in looking at the bigger picture, like overall effectiveness. This article and attached software will be useful once you begin to develop a complex and integrated online media campaign.
Tags: interactive dashboard, reports, marketing manager, digital spending, page views, referring sites, media spend, campaign. Article Title: Best of Eyetrack III: What We Saw When We Looked Through Their Eyes Article Source: The Poynter Institute. Available online at: < http://www.poynterextra.org/eyetrack2004/main.htm > Article Author(s): Steve Outing and Laura Ruel Reviewed by: Azarmeen Dastoor
Usability testing evaluates the efficiency of a website by examining the user�s experience and satisfaction while navigating through a site. One of the ways usability testing is conducted is through eyetracking. These tests provide marketers, advertisers, graphic designers, and web designers with essential feedback on the successes or failures of their website from: what words a user skims over in search results, how long each paragraph should be, where a navigation menu should be placed for accessibility, to determining whether a text or graphic better conveys certain information. Many factors affect how long a user pays attention to the advertisement, if at all. Eyetracking devices map out their results is by generating heatmaps that visualize hotspots and overlooked regions through hot and cold colours. Pertaining to advertising, the Eyetrack III tests compiled a few guidelines: (1) most users inspected ads located on the top left region of a homepage, (2) the content surrounding the ad is important and should not be separated by a barrier, (3) text ads make the user gaze at the ad longer than graphic ads, (4) large-scale ads were more frequently seen than small-scale ads, and (5) photographs were often clicked (Outing and Ruel). These observations help the creators of ads and online spaces construct a productive website.
When an individual company receives negative feedback by its customers or other users online, their business could suffer greatly. Similar to public relations, online reputation management (ORM) aims to minimize negative feedback to maintain the reputation of the business. This is done through three steps, listed in a nonchronological order: (1) identifying how the company is perceived by the public through regular observation, (2) planning out the different ways the public will perceive a certain action on a smaller group before going through with it completely, and (3) either act accordingly through statements or disregard the negativity itself (Gregory). It allows companies to constantly be informed about what an individual thinks he/she knows about the business, who he/she is spreading this negative commentary to, and why he/she is driven to do so (Gregory). Online reputation management does not necessarily prevent the negative feedback from occurring in the first place, but instead it provides the company some tools to deal with the problems it might be facing while it is in the public eye. Without online reputation management, the company can lose numerous potential customers through a few bad reviews listed in Google search results.
Tags: feedback, negativity, online reputation management, positivity, public relations, publicity, reputation Article Title: �Tearing Down the Walls: How social media is changing everything about the way we do business�. Article Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217507 Article Author(s): Jason Daley, Entrepreneur Magazine Reviewed by: Catharine Charlesworth
Abstract: Daley describes the impact of social media on businesses, breaking down �silos� or previously segmented around areas within companies, or between companies and clients (Daley 2010). He argues that social media forms a crucial part of today�s online marketing strategies, and the potential suggested - but mostly untapped - by some current online campaigns, and that companies of any size can stand to benefit from using social media effectively (Daley 2010). He describes the importance of customization in appealing to �Consumers [who] are increasingly sophisticated and have very diverse palates� (Daley 2010). Daley describes how social media helped companies such as Dell and Starbucks develop stronger relationships with customers by allowing users to effectively contribute content and ideas to the company (Daley 2010). He also presents potential changes to social media networks in the future, including �a more open architecture� (Daley 2010). In addition, a sidebar in the article links to four alternative social networking sites useful to marketers (Daley 2010).
Tags: Social Media, Advertising Campaigns, Entrepreneurship, Customization
Abstract: In this entry at Very Official Blog, a Social Media Blog with plenty of useful entries, Shannon Paul creates offers social media users a �comprehensive roadmap� (Paul 2010). She does this by posing readers with 28 questions about their purposes, goals, and strategies (Paul 2010). She groups her questions into several stages of development, including a �foundation�, �defining the scope of the conversation�, �measurement and reporting� and �creation and deployment� )Paul 2010). Within the article she links to helpful resources and techniques for users to help them answer the questions she presents, challenging marketers to narrow their focus and create a successful brand (Paul 2010). In the beginning, she asks users to identify whether or not their company will �experiment� with social media; she then goes into particular detail about how social media forms one component of a �parent strategy� for a business, and the importance of integrating the two successfully (Paul 2010). She also discusses topics such as on-brand messages, identifying needed resources, and planning a launch (Paul 2010).
Tags: Social Media, Branding, Strategy, Online Advertising, Project Management
Abstract: Fisher argues that social gaming provides ample opportunities for advertisers to reach a large audience. Through games that require players to constantly purchase virtual items, brands are able to advertise to players regularly and increase sales in real life. According to a Nielson and Electronic Arts study, the U.S. will expand its investment on in-game advertising to $2 billion by 2012 (Fisher 2010). Fisher uses MacDonalds� campaign in Zynga�s Farmville as an example to illustrate how a brand can assert itself into the lives of over 70 million users (Fisher 2010). For one day, MacDonalds offered �branded virtual goods� to any user who chose to grow plants in their corporate colours (Fisher 2010). It was a way to show users that both the advertiser and the gaming company respected their needs to have advertisements that were relevant and useful. An advertiser�s goal is to convince viewers that the brand can �improve their online lives� versus real life (Fisher 2010). As a result, advertisers need to dedicate their time in understanding how people interact and consume online. It can a tough job to keep up with the evolving trends and to maintain the user�s attention. In the future, advertising agencies may no longer be needed for in-gaming advertising because gaming companies are finding it easier to set up arrangements with clients. Therefore, advertisers need to find more innovative and creative ways to continually profit from the online gaming community.
Tags: social media, social gaming, Farmville, Zynga, in-gaming advertising, online campaign, online gaming, interactive advertising
Article Title: "Facebook's Ads Work REALLY When Facebook Can Get Users Talking About Them
Abstract: Neff argues that in order for a Facebook advertisement to be effective, the campaign must be based on �organic social advocacy� (Neff 2010). In other words, users need actively promote the brand via the news feed, the fan page, and other Facebook features. According to a Nielson Co. study, ad recall jumps from 10% to 30% when the advertisement appears in the news feed (Neff 2010). Similarly, brand awareness increases from 2% to 13% when the news feed mentions a friend has become a fan of the brand (Neff 2010). Ultimately, actual sales become affected when purchase intent jumps four times due user advocacy (Neff 2010). What makes �earned media� stand out from �paid media� is that there is a larger impact on sales when people have friends affiliated with a brand (Neff 2010). Nielson Co.�s study shows that there is a higher click rate for a friend�s posting in the news feed versus a banner ad. Marketers need to understand that online advertisements are less about packaging and more about winning over the users. They need to engage in a long-term interaction with the users in order to maintain and increase attention. The short-term advertising campaign does not work on Facebook.
Tags: social media, Facebook, social advocacy, organic social advocacy, ad recall, brand awareness, earned media, paid media, online advertising, social networks, banner ads, relationship marketing
Abstract: This article reaffirms the positive growth in the advertising expenditures and the unparalleled success of digital advertising. Statistics show that 70% of advertisers will increase spending on digital video this year (Vega, Elliott 2011). Marketers prefer online ads, especially search ads as they can be tracked and measured for their success and financial result. According to Brian Wieser of Magnaglobal, the fastest growing media will be online video and mobile. For instance, General Electric's upcoming Ecomagination campaign will consist of user-generated Youtube videos, a contest on Flickr, and mobile ads. This type of campaign has been successful for others in the past. Nowadays, it is hard to find a campaign without some use of social media. The article argues that while advertisers will have more options to advertise on and with, it'd be more difficult to reach increasingly fragmented audiences on each platform (Vega, Elliott 2011). While numbers are up for digital media, mobile and even television and radio, the article suggests that print media can remain relevant by adapting with the new medium of tablets such as iPads.
Tags: online video, mobile, advertising, social media, youtube, flickr, tablet, fragmentation Article Title: Mobile advertising faces tough reception Article Source: ZDNet and Silicon.com http://www.zdnetasia.com/mobile-advertising-faces-tough-reception-62205524.htm Article Author(s): Tim Ferguson Reviewed by: Karen Hui
Abstract: According to this article, the market of mobile advertising not eclipse that of computer advertising any time soon. Despite the rising popularity and sales of smartphones, most people access the Internet through their computers, not their phones. Even in 2015, it is predicted that only 28% of time spent on the Internet will be done through mobile devices (Ferguson 2011). The article brings up some of the reasons deterring people from Internet mobile usage. Firstly, the small screen size limits the size and number of advertisements being shown on a single page. Secondly, ads for expensive products (such as financial services and travel packages) would not be relevant in mobile advertising because people do not make these purchases over the phone. The demand for such products and its advertisements does not exist, thus limiting the potential of m-commerce.
Despite these issues, investments into mobile advertising continue to pour in, with companies spending �419m (US$647.35m) by 2015, up from �46m US$71.07m) in 2009 (Ferguson 2011).
Abstract: This article talks about the impact that android powered smart phones have had on the mobile phone market. Daniel Lyons begins by explaining the booming expansion of the android operating system, which as he says can very easily have over 25% or the market of mobile devices over their biggest rival apple�s 11% (Lyons 2010). The implications of this are put into perspective as Lyons describes the marketing techniques and revenue gains the android OS has. He explains that the android operating system was optimized to run many applications at the same time and quickly and efficiently render web ages at the same time (Lyons 2010). This makes it a powerful new OS based on a more modern philosophy then its competition. This on top of the fact that the OS is open source software means that companies such as HTC and Motorola, amongst others, are able to customize and alter the source code in small ways to make it their own (Lyons 2010). Having the ability to change the interface of software allows for the android OS to be branched out into the hands of many different developers while becoming uniquely different in every case, yet still being the same core software. The implications of this mean that proprietary software such as apples ios have far more limitations in the long run. Lyons also adds that the Google does not make revenue off the android OS its self, but rather through the advertising revenue. This model allows them to spread father and wider across the medium than their competition.
Tags: Mobile computing, Android, Advertising, Google
This article is written on Google�s interest in the online money saving website Groupon.com. Groupon is a brilliant online advertising website that localizes deals to each specific user by region, gender and age. The platform they work on is essentially working with local businesses it create and promote deals and sales on their website. The huge exposure Groupon is capable of giving a small company is what they are really after. The deal the company�s make with Groupon includes an agreement that Groupon will keep a certain percentage of the sales. With a strong viral market this relationship with business owners stands to make the company promoting the deal a large sum of money. This makes the marketing technique very viable. With this potential to make money, Google attempted to buy the company for approximately 6 billion dollars. The article says that annual revenue for the company is reaching 1 billion dollars a year. Groupon rejected Google�s offer. The competitive nature of the field shows just how much money these companies stand to make. The approach Google is now taking is to create a similar marketing and advertising platform in order to tap into the money making power of the online environment. This creates important implications of the future of both of these companies. Although Google will most likely not be damaged to greatly by failure, Google�s success is a hazard to the longevity of Groupon�s business. The battle of this online market is something to pay close attention on in the future.
Tags: Groupon, Google, Online Marketing
Article Title: Google Click to Call Advertising Article Source: Problogger.net. Link here Article Author(s): Darren Rowse Reviewed by: Ricardo Segura
Abstract: In this blog post, Rowse comments on a new way of marketing that Google has begun to test in parts of the USA. This new way of advertising is similar to a Pay Per Click technology. The user sees an advert that is desirable to him or her and clicks, which in turn takes the user to the landing page. The new Google model uses a Pay Per Call marketing strategy. According to the Google website, "When you click the phone icon, you can enter your phone number. Once you click �Connect For Free,� Google calls the number you provided. When you pick up, you hear ringing on the other end as Google connects you to the other party. Then, chat away on our dime". This new model also assumes that the advertiser will pay not only for the click, but for the call as well. Even though this new marketing strategy might be more expensive than the traditional Google text-based AdWords, this might make the consumer "as focused on the goal � conversion � as possible" (Stokes, 59). By Google arranging a call within seconds, the advertisers could not be closer to their target consumers. All one needs is exceptional communication skills to convince, or convert, the consumer. One problem does arise out of this: we are constantly moving away from voice interactions. New technologies have seen an increasingly chat-based communicational experience. Google's decision to R&D Pay Per Call advertising is a definite risky step. However, as with any other Google invention, it can prove to be an immense success, or a terrible disaster.
Abstract: The growth in the market for online purchases continues to increase, ranging from textbooks to clothes. As purchases are highly influenced by word of mouth, online user reviews have the biggest influence on consumer electronics purchases. However, little did we know that sometimes, these reviews can be false. In this article, photographer David Friedman, claimed on his blog that companies are subtly manipulating amazon.com product reviews to get consumers to buy their product. Many companies have been caught by Amazon, which range from reviewers that work for the company to reviewers that are hired to write fake reviews. Friedman analyzed that today�s trends seem to be that rather than placing easily recognized fake review directly for the product, businesses places these manipulated reviews on related products. As stated by Gianatasio, Friedman used the example of Onkyo speaker mounts reviews. He described many of the reviews were more directed towards selling Onkyo speakers. Despite of how great they were, it was just the mentioning of the name that was important. The article questions the legitimacy and effectiveness of online product reviews. I definitely agree with Gianatasio that these subtle placements are an incredibly effective way to market its brand. User reviews play such a large role in terms of getting consumers to purchasing products online. However, as a regular online consumer, it is fairly difficult to distinguish whether reviews are real of fake until you actually try out the product. Wouldn�t that mean that this method of marketing is successful in achieving what the purpose of these reviews want us to?
Abstract: (250 words or so, summarizing main points)
In this blog, it talks about Google�s search engine competitor DuckDuckGo, who recently bought a billboard in L.A. In the ad, it says �Google tracks you. We don�t.� The article mentions that Gabriel Weinberg, the founder, coder and sole employee of DuckDuckGo, stated that Google sends along your search query to the sites you visit. What DuckDuckGo tries to point is that they won�t, as if the searches you type are personal information. Here, Cullen argues that the marketers at DuckDuckGo are overestimating how much search engine users care about their personal lives, that they are going too specific of what people actually care about. As a frequent search engine user, I found Google�s tracking quite beneficial because it gives you what you�re looking for as well as possible ads you might be interested in. In other cases, website owners may want to know what keywords to buy in order to get the right type of consumers viewing your site, as well as getting rid of unwanted viewers. Despite of this, numbers have shown that after a month of purchasing the billboard, the search engine queries managed to boost up by 5 million.
Tags: DuckDuckGo, Google, search engine, privacy
Article Title: Google�s AdMob Seeing 2 Billion Ad Requests Per Month; Up 300 Percent Over Past Year Article Source: TechCrunch.com. Link here Article Author(s): Leena Rao Reviewed by: Ricardo Segura
Abstract: Rao begins her commentary by informing the reader on some staggering statistics. Admob, a company recently bought by Google, specializes in digital mobile advertising. Due to the rapid increase of Applications present in the iOS and Android environments, the company has tripled its ad requests in less than a year. As Rao comments, "AdMob says that more than 100 million unique Android and iOS devices requested an ad each month, which is double the rate over the last six months" (Rao, par. 3). What is of most importance to note in this sudden increase of ad requests is that advertisers have realized how valuable digital mobile advertisements are. Advertisers should be wary, however. As Stokes comments, "You can make your advertising relevant with the many filters available when selecting where to show your adverts" (Stokes, 112). In Admob, it is more challenging to target your advertisement accordingly. Additionally, if the advertiser thought that Google Adwords provided little space for text, Admob users will need to rethink their marketing strategies as Admob only allows a sentence to be displayed on iOS and Android devices. Admob's recent spike of ad requests come after the company was purchased by Google last year. This signifies good news for prospective online advertisers: Google Adwords and Admob work. Ask the 4 billion advertisers that placed their ads last month.
Tags: Google, Admob, advertising, mobile, revenue, digital marketing, iOS, Android, App, ad request
Abstract: This article, written by Joshua Titsworth, illustrates how you can get any job you want using social media, including Facebook, Twitter and blogging. However, don't let it fool you, this isn't an easy way out, just setting up and account does not guarantee you a job, this requires work and commitment on your part. He outlines four strategies for optimizing your online profile. First, Joshua states you must get control of your name . Most employers search your name to see what pops up, you must ensure that it is nothing that would cause you to lose the job before you even have it. Joshua says, "The point is to portray the role you want to have" (Titsworth 2010), if your desired job includes working with children, have a picture of you playing with some as your profile photo and avoid anything that could be inappropriate. Secondly, keeping privacy private and publicity public , setting up the privacy settings on accounts such as facebook, ensures inappropriate photos or private information stays private. This helps the employer to pay attention to certain areas you want highlighted and shows you know what information is being presented about you to the public. "Only post online what you want to be seen" (Titsworth 2010). Thirdly, optimizing current social media profiles , keep your name consistent throughout your profiles and your resume to ensure they appear when being searched. Finally, the last strategy he has for getting a job is setting up a blog . This is a great way to show your employer your inner thoughts, however, this must be done a certain way. Joshua says you shouldn't only write personal thoughts and rant about how much you want a job, also don't write about anything inappropriate. The best way to use your blog is to "show the readers (potential employers) you are actively researching and learning more about the industry in question...also add a page devoted to your resume" (Titsworth 2010). Don't just stop at posting on your own, join communities or forums to start networking, make sure to post an archive on your blog of where you post. Most importantly let your passion shine and continue showing this passion and your personality if and when you get an interview.
Tags: blogs, job hunting, job search, social media, personal branding
Abstract: The Internet has drastically changed how reputations are managed. What used to be done through the press, television commercials and word of mouth, is now online where it is harder to control your image. Not all trolls are bad, but they can and are able to hurt a business. On the internet it's easy to create a website putting down a company, or just posting comments on the companies Facebook or twitter can get their message out. The most important thing to reputation management is to be transparent and honest. Don't post fake reviews, not identifying yourself as an employee, saying you like the product. On the Internet it's easy to track that information down and you will get caught and trolled, and the results will be bad. You must remain transparent, always identify yourself in interactions. "Honesty means that you MUST fight the urge to post false reviews, fake testimonials, or �voice of the people� opinions from someone that doesn�t exist" (JD Rucker 2010).
There are two types of trolls, those that want some sort of retribution for a wrong done to them and those who just want attention and to hurt your business. For the first type of troll, show that you are interested in their problem and are willing to help. "When you�re dealing with a troll who has a genuine concern they want addressed, you have to take the bait. Even if you simply tell them in a professional manner that there really isn�t anything you can do, it�s better than being silent... Empathy is a powerful tool and allowing them being sincerely concerned with their bad experience is a trait that every business owner should have" (JD Rucker 2010). For trolls that simply want to hurt you, the key is to be selective with what you say, "often a simple apology will do" (JD Rucker 2010). When you are professional with your reply even when the troll is being unreasonable, anyone who sees the posts will witness how you tried to resolve the issue. Sometimes if the troll is just being an idiot, its best to ignore them, rather than get sarcastic and egg them on. Listen to the trolls. "Sometimes, trolls make valid points. Sometimes, your biggest critics can hold the key to future success through the knowledge and discussions you have with them" (JD Rucker 2010).
Tags: online reputation, trolls, social media, reputation management
Article Title: Put Social Media to Work for You from Financial Post Article Source: http://www.financialpost.com/entrepreneur/social+media+work/3720799/story.html Article Author(s): Rick Spence Reviewed by: Kleine Achiles Abstract: This is an example of how social media can take a person from relative unknown obscurity to mayor of Calgary. Naheed Nenshi ran an effective campaign using various social media outlets to reach the people of Calgary. It begins with a professional website that contained more than just the basic information on how to vote. Nenshi's website has a personal blog that's updated by an enthusiastic campaign member almost everyday. The blog contains links to various articles and works by Nenshi and suggestions on how to spread the word about Nenshi. Nenshi updates his own Twitter account, conversing with fans and non-fans of Nenshi and updating everyone of various appearances, policies and issues he supports. Nenshi also has a YouTube channel which contains various campaign videos, and popular videos titled �How do you say Naheed� and �Family Journeys� which each have over 8,900 views and 20, 000 views respectively. Nenshi�s Facebook page contains a plethora of forums discussing various issues. His �Wall� is full of comments about him and his campaign which brings him a lot of publicity and exposure.
This article shows the importance of engaging with your audience and the effectiveness of social media outlets when used to full advantage. Two months before the elections, Nenshi fell far behind against the other candidates in terms of fans and followers on Twitter and Facebook and views on YouTube. Social media helped Nenshi reach a younger audience in Calgary, many who don�t care too much about politics. But through effective engagement and selectively using appropriate social media channels, Nenshi went from underdog to winning by over 20,000 votes. Tags: social media, Calgary, Naheed Nenshi, effective campaign
The article in �clickz.com� addresses the issue around the self-regulation of online advertising through the introduction of �ad verification icons� in online ads. They mention 3 companies - DoubleVerify, Evidon and TRUSTe � that are certified to implement the special icon on online campaign. This icon ensures that even though an ad is placed within a page according to a user�s preference and the page�s content, it is still within appropriate privacy standards. The certified companies provide not only the icon but also guarantee compliance with online self-regulatory privacy standards (overseen by the Digital Advertising Alliance) and deliver information about the ads� turnout to the advertising company. The icon also provides information such as the number of clicks on an ad, how many people opted out of being targeted by that campaign and more. The importance of this icon is mainly the concern with ad agencies gathering information about the user�s Internet habits in order to effectively target ads. When a company chooses to implement the icon (by contracting one of the 3 certified firms) they show the users that they comply with the self-regulatory system, and therefore care for their costumer�s privacy. Adhering to the service is a cost to advertisers (since they have to pay the certified agencies), but as mentioned in the article, the benefits of fostering a trust relationship with users is greater (in terms of branding).
The interesting conclusion I took from this article, and that I believe is relevant to CCT356, is that not only is privacy an important field in online advertising but also it has become and industry. As future online advertisers we can look at privacy in two ways: as a concern (when we are running our own campaigns) and as a business opportunity (creating and profiting from services such as the ad verification icons).
Article Tite: An analysis of the importance of the long tail in search engine marketing Article Source: http://journals1.scholarsportal.info/tmp/7106223376362232805.pdf Article Author: Bernd Skiera a,*, Jochen Eckert b, Oliver Hinz c Reviewed By: Semira B. Fernandes
In today's online marketing, search engine marketing is extremely popular to online advertising. Many advertising agencies claim that employing hundreds or thousands of keywords drives the success of search engine marketing. This article suggests otherwise and demonstrates that the use of the top 100 keywords is enough to contribute to a significant success of search engine marketing. Online advertisers use the strategy of “long tail” advertising. This technique requires the use of numerous keywords to successfully run search engine marketing campaigns. Skiera, Eckert & Hinz doubt the success of long tail advertising and run an empirical study, which challenges this strategy and further predicts the success of short tail strategies. The results of their study show the use of a few keywords is sufficient in capturing vast majority of searches. This finding implies that the top 100 keywords are adequate enough to generate the same about of success that long tail techniques produce. In its conclusion, the article indentifies that small increases in the number of clicks and searches are seen when the number of keywords exceed 100. Additionally, the article concludes in outlining the importance of replacing the top 100 keywords since their performance changes over time. Thus, advertisers need to constantly analyze which of the keywords perform successfully to further analyze the success of their search engine marketing campaigns.
Article Title: YouTube becoming new advertising medium Article Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/01/12/story12.html?surround=etf&ana=e_article Article Author(s): Rich Kirchen Reviewed by: QingYun Hu Abstract: This journal summarizes some advantages and disadvantages for advertising on YouTube. It mentions that YouTube is current one of the most rapid growing Internet based advertising platform. Many people now use YouTube as the best advertising venue to attract customers. This journal mentions a person named Steve Thuilliez, who spends $200 per month to produce video and put it on YouTube to advertise his window and door business. However, the video does not seem to have any advertising effects because his video received 270 views but there is no indication of any sales leads. According to this article, the author mentions that about seventy-five percent of Americans watched at least one video per month in December 2008. Thuilliez�s failure is an indication that anything that smacks of conventional advertising won�t work on YouTube because people prefer not to watch commercials. However, this is not the only reason why people don�t watch it because this also depends on the creativity and attractiveness of the content of the video itself. The most successful YouTube videos are the ones that offered entertainment that coincidentally tied in to a product or surprised viewers at the end by identifying the advertiser, not by showing the advertised product directly. Advertising on YouTube will not only bring revenues to the advertisers, advertisers also have to take risks on YouTube because viewers can comment negatively on a video and post critical videos on a company�s products, brand or service, therefore, companies are also risking their reputation by advertising on YouTube.
Article Title: Social Media Advertising To Succeed Article Source: http://www.webpronews.com/social-media-advertising-will-succeed-2008-03 Article Author(s): Rich Ord Reviewed by: QingYun Hu Abstract: Social media is a different type of advertising platform. Social media delivers mass numbers of audience for advertisers on the Internet. The top 25 social media networks delivered over 155 million unique visitors in February 2008 with 70% coming from MySpace, Facebook and Classmates.com. YouTube and Flickr are two of the new social media sites that add to another 60 million of unique visitors totaling an estimated amount of 215 million human viewing social media monthly. This is an extraordinary happening because compared that to television where an average 24-hour period delivers around 50 million unique views. Even with the highest viewership day of the year, Super Bowl Sunday has only an estimated 110 million unique U.S residents viewing. Since the Internet became a powerful platform for advertisers to reach mass audience in which users were able to generate videos on websites such as YouTube, TV commercials have lost its competing ability. Advertising on social media sites is not only about click rates, it is more about quickly reaching mass audiences. Click rates are a reflection of pageviews and social media sites similar to TV have a large overlapping audience that hangs around them all day, every day. Therefore, social media audience is loyal. They are big spenders online and are considered a high value audience by ad agencies and advertisers. Advertisers value the audience, not just the clicks. Therefore, despite the fact that social media advertising has yet to hit its stride and is taking some lumps for low click rates when compared to high pageview, it will succeed.
Tags: Advertising , Facebook , Flickr , MySpace , Social Media , YouTube
This article talks about tests done to determine some of the effects that today`s online advertisements have on internet users. With the growing use of websites and online advertisement, it is becoming increasingly important to measure the success that advertising has on website users.
As an experiment, the authors made a test website with familiar properties to existing websites. Subjects were given nine search tasks to complete on the webpage, and were shown a number of advertisements in the form of pop-ups, pop-unders, or in-line ads. Upon completing the tasks, subjects were given a survey in which the outcome variable was collected. Results showed that although the subjects did not find the advertisements particularly intrusive, subjects who were not exposed to advertisements were more likely to return or recommend the site to others than those who were exposed to the advertisements. Results also showed that pop-ups and pop-unders were said to be more intrusive than the in-line ads. In terms of what ads were shown to the subjects, results found that advertisements that had nothing to do with website content were considered more irritating than those that had to do with the web content. However, the ads that had nothing to do with the web content also had more of an impression on the subject. And also in terms of retention of information from the website and the advertisement, the pop-ups and pop-unders proved problematic because the act of closing the ad distracted the subject from browsing the website, and the advertisement was seen for less time than the in-line ads. Altogether, the research found that pop-up ads are problematic when considering retention of information from advertisements and websites. If someone wants to gain to most out of advertisements, in-line ads are the best way to go.
Tags: Pop-ups, Pop-unders, in-line advertisements, information retention
Article Title: Consumer Privacy Concerns about Internet Marketing Article Source: http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=272287.272299 Article Author(s): Huaiqing Wang, Matthew K.O. Lee, and Chen Wang Reviewed by: Monica Olszewski Abstract:
The internet has changed the way business relationships operate. Now it is possible to shop from home and choose from an array of products from all around the world.
One of the things holding internet shopping back from being full scale integrated into modern business is the fact that internet consumers have little trust in the new marketing machinery. Consumers have expressed that their biggest fear is lack of personal privacy on the internet. A survey undertaken by Equifax and Harris Associates has shown that over two-thirds of consumers on the internet consider the privacy concern most important. Research surrounding Internet marketing is sketchy and sometimes contradictory, so there is a need for clear research to analyze ideas and create a clear picture of the issues that surround internet marketing. This article helps to present a costumer perspective of on privacy issues, and presents consumers with knowledge on how to enhance privacy during their internet shopping experience. Some activities that have posed concern with privacy include junk email marketing and tracking of user�s history of web usage, e.g. cookies. Some major categories of concern include: -improper access to a consumer�s private computer without permission or warning -improper collection of consumer�s information such as email address, types of software used by the consumer, consumer�s web access history, and private files or databases without notice of permission from the consumer -improper monitoring of the internet activities of consumers without permission from the consumer -improper analysis of private information with the intention of reaching conclusion for research including shopping and spending patterns and behaviours -improper transfer of information collected to other businesses
Although the online market holds immense potential in terms of integration into the mainstream market, there are concerns about privacy that are impeding on development.
Tags: privacy, consumer, electronic marketplace, information, collection, analysis, monitoring, improper access Article Title: Measuring the Value of Social Media Advertising Article Source: http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/20/social-media-advertising/ Article Author(s): Robin Waters, 2010 Reviewed by: Gabriela Rank
Abstract:
The following article talks about the effectiveness of online advertising, especially on social media sites like Facebook. It speaks about the alliance of Nielsen, an audience measuring firm that tracks TV, internet, and radio usage worldwide (Wauters, 2010), and Facebook in order to develop effective solutions towards brand advertising on social networks. The results were determined by a six-month study, which consisted on surveys to over more than 800,000 Facebooks users, and over 125 individual ad campaigns from over 70 different brands (Wauters, 2010). To narrow down the study, Nielsen, focused on the �Become A Fan� interactive feature. The effectiveness of the unit was divided into three different ways, going from the more general to the more specific. The first one is known as the standard Engagement Ad (Homepage Ad), it is more towards the numerical value, rather than the contextual, as it presents the total number of people who like the brand. For example: 10,876 people are fans of TED Talks. The second form of ads is the Ads with Social Context (Social Ads), which can be considered as a form of narrowcasting. For example: Tim Griffin, Laura Hilrock, Tiffany Lui, and 10 other people are fans of TED Talks. The last form are known as the Organic Ad Impression (Newsfeed Ads), which works in the form of a newsfeed that is sent to known friends of a specific user, for example: Alex Wang and Rhina Perez became fans of TED Talks. It was to no surprise to find that on social media sites the controlled exposure (forms 2 and 3) proves to be much more efficient than the Engagement Ads. According to Nielsen, brand awareness went up from a 2% from just a homepage ad, 8% with a social ad, and 13% in the newsfeed ads (Wauters, 2010). The results from the article allow the reader to conclude that in the online world, there exists a higher control to build brand recognition. As a result, the digital media has changed the contexts of marketing, but what are some of the problems that arise with having access to a highly controlled environment?
Tags: online advertising, social context, interactivity, facebook, social media, social networks, branding, brand, advertising, digital media
This article pays close attention as to how the Internet has brought new emerging issues regarding online privacy. Bain states that we cannot blame the privacy problems on either technological changes, or ineffective laws (Bain, 2011), but we should start blaming them on us the consumers, as we have allowed the concept of privacy to be eroded. As the Internet brings new possibilities, consumers have began to use the Internet as a way of sharing "unprecedented amounts of detail about their lives (Bain, 2011)." The article pays a special focus social networking sites like Facebook and Foursquare, as it is the most popular online activity, and also the one that has the biggest privacy breaches. Social networking sites encourage their users to forget about privacy concerns, giving researches valuable insights as to how to reach a certain target audience more effectively.
As a response to this, different laws have been passed with the intention of protecting the consumer�s personal freedom, trying to limit the methods and also the amount of personal data being collected. However, the methods that have been currently applied in the offline world cannot be directly translated and implemented on the Internet, and one of the biggest issues is that there seems to be a form of ignorance or indifference from the consumers. As Sean Murphy states �those who were more worried did not behave much differently online from others.� Nonetheless, Murphy states that once consumers are aware of the value of their data, it might change the market�s course, as consumers may begin �to demand "a renegotiation of their relationships with online content providers, researchers and advertiser (Bain, 2011)" in exchange for their data.�
Tags: Technology, Privacy, social networks, media, advertising, market research, online, legal issues, new businesses, insights
Abstract: Mani Karthik lists his top 10 reasons why a brand may find social media to be an unsuccessful marketing tool. Although Twitter is used as an example, these reasons can be applied to any online social media channels. The list consists of tips that most brands may follow (such as being social, being fun, and providing followers with perks). However, the more interesting ones are the reasons most people would never think of (accepting mistakes, respond to questions and criticism). He includes tips that some people may not be aware of; for example: Reason #9, which urges users to not act as if they aren't bothered by a user's criticism or feedback. The tips aren't exclusive only to brands that have established themselves in the industry. In fact, these tips are most helpful to those who are struggling to gain popularity or build a fan base. Reason #2 describes why it is damaging to only discuss your product, and is especially important for any user who is trying to estabilish a name for themselves. Social media channels like Twitter or Facebook have a large following of people who are interested in receiving information and perks from their favourite brands. It can also provide an ample opportunity for other users who are trying to market their product, their company, or themselves. The article places an emphasis on the difference between branding in social media and traditional media, and urges brands to do the work that comes with the account.
Abstract: This article�s main focus is to discuss the possible advantages and obstacles Facebook might experience if it continues to integrate advertising sponsors into their user profiles.The primary concern that the article proposes is the fear of users beginning to boycott Facebook due to the excessive amount of advertisements that will be exposed to them while browsing through user profiles. The new advertising platform that is proposed by Facebook is known as the �Sponsored Stories�. The �Sponsored Stories� advertisements will be injected on the right side of the user�s news feed homepage. The content of these advertisements are based on a user�s �likes�, pages, statuses, check-ins and applications. They gather this kind of information from the user�s profile and generate advertisements that relate to the user themselves. Thus, �Sponsored Stories� are basically promoted posts that users would see on their homepage. However, the article suggests that precisely because these posts are still advertisements, users may feel overwhelmed by the overload of information brought upon them and become annoyed by these ads. However, on the other hand, �Sponsored Stories� proposes an advantage for advertisers because it makes word of mouth marketing easier to be executed. Advertisers can now gain access to and predict the users� interests and promote their products in such a way that caters to these potential consumers (the users). The article states that this Facebook advertising technique might be effective right now, but suggests that issues may soon rise. Users will be annoyed by the advertisements because they might be taking up too much space on their homepage, and users might also begin to question the advantages they are gaining from recommending other users to advertisers. This will cause problems because the users themselves are on one hand recommending other users to advertisers, but the only two groups that are actually making a monetary profit are Facebook and the advertisers themselves. Hence, the article is implying that this new �Sponsored Stories� advertising format that Facebook introduced can either turn out to be very effective, or it can raise severe issues and discontent.
This article talks about Twitter, being a popular social media technology at the moment, expanding into E-commerce and online advertising. Twitter has officially launched their product selling E-commerce strategy, announcing the beginning of the Earlybird Exclusive Offers, which will be time-sensitive discount deals on certain products and events that will show up on the Earlybird Twitter account. Users can then follow the Earlybird Twitter account and keep track on the discounts that are being offered. The idea of using the Earlybird Twitter account E-commerce strategy derives from private, limited time sales websites such as Gilt, Groupon and Woot. These sites all belong to the emerging online shopping trend, and Twitter also takes advantages of engaging in online advertising because companies such as Dell contributes millions of dollars in sales to posting discount deals on Twitter. The deals that are posted on the Earlybird Twitter account includes a broad range of products such as diapers, iPods, iPhones, , or events such as a concert or travel packages. Twitter also initiated a hint that it will be able to filter these deals based on categorization, such as apparel and gadgets in the near future. Twitter also stressed on the fact that in the future developments of this E-Commerce strategy, it will be selective about which deals and discounts will be offered and make them interesting and valuable to the individual user. The retailers hold the responsibility of setting the prices of the items and how many of these items will be available. Twitter in return earns a profit from these sales, and to them it is a way of experimenting with different forms of e-commerce. Twitter used a new e-commerce approach compared to last year, where they would offer possible transactions based on what the Twitter users follow and what they tweet about. The article ends with discussing the possible future directions of the Earlybird e-commerce approach if it becomes successful. Article Title: Essential Mobile Marketing Resources Article Source: TopRank Article Author: Lee Odden Reviewed by: Rebecca Rodrigues
Abstract: Essential Mobile Marketing Resources is an article published on January 31, 2011 and written by Lee Odden who writes for the Online Marketing Blog. The entire article contains interesting links to blogs, sites and forums that are rich in mobile marketing content. It starts out by discussing the large part that mobile phones play in our daily interaction with technology in terms of social networks, calls and texts. Many users foresee the future of marketing and ecommerce on the screens of mobile devices. It cites a prediction that mobile ecommerce is predicted to increase 65% annually by 2015. And although that's four years away, we can already see technology adapt to the way of the smart phone. The article makes a prediction of its own: 2011 may finally prove to be the breakout year for mobile marketing and mobile commerce. The author covers interesting techniques of mobile marketing such as proximity marketing, which is something users have been hearing about more and more recently. Mobile coupons will be distributed via Bluetooth to users who are near a particular retailer. This technology is important, because social networks and retailers will be teaming up in the future to provide users who 'like' a particular retailer, and 'check in' to a particular location to gain perks in the form of coupons. The article is rich in links to various other destinations to aid users who would like to educate themselves further; for example, Mobile Marketing Watch, which is a collection of news on mobile space. There is also an embedded presentation that provides statistics and a breakdown of the usefulness of QR codes. Finally, the author suggests a book on Mobile Marketing which is essential for building a foundation in mobile marketing as part of an online marketing mix.
Tags: marketing, ecommerce, mobile marketing, smart phones, proximity, social networks, applications, online marketing, technology.
Article Title: Top 10 Advertising Trends of The Decade Article Source: Sramana Mitra Article Author(s): Sramana Mitra, 2011 Reviewed by: Lucas Buzanic
Abstract: This blog article is about the top 10 advertising trends and the shift that will occur in the next ten years. At the moment online advertising is at $55 billion and mobile advertising is at $2 billion, mobile advertising is said to gain momentum with the rise of Asia, Latin America and Africa's economy. Number one on the list for advertising trends is Paid Search Advertising, which has been dominated by Google. Paid Search is when website owners, pay for their websites to appear in the top list of a search through keywords that are bought. Secondly, there is Organic Search advertising, which is the random ads that appear as search results when going using search engines. Display Advertising and Vertical Ad Networks have been placed third as they are the ads that contain text, pictures, logos and so forth that are displayed in many of the popular websites seen today. The fourth top trend is Social Media Advertising. Facebook, Twitter and other top social networking websites have a lot of information on users, but are still figuring out a way of how to use this information for advertisers without being intrusive. In-game Advertising and Advertising apps and games are fifth and sixth on the trend list. Advertisers have realized rather than putting their money into prime time ads for 30 seconds, they could put their ads in games and in apps on people's mobile phones which they will be looking at for much longer than the 30 seconds on TV. Interactive Infomercials are seventh on the list, as they require people to call and show an interest, the internet has copied these ads through vertical ads and so on to accomplish the same effect. Video and Mobile advertising are lower on the list at eight and nine, but are becoming viral, Youtube has dominated video advertising and Mobile advertising is growing as the "rise of the mobile web" is approaching. The cell phone market is expanding in markets like Brazil to Indonesia and is going to grow very rapidly over the next few years as there is expected to be five billion users on the web in 2020.
Tags: top 10, advertising, advertising trends, mobile, social media, paid search, network.
Article Title: The Pros of Online Music Advertising Article Source: Million Media Wordpress Article Author(s): MJ Digital, 2007 Reviewed by: Lucas Buzanic
Abstract: Online advertising for music is not understood. Tags such as music, tour, download do not promote any artist in particular, not all fans know the label that the artist is signed under and people do not click on anything unless they were searching for it in the first place, making it a waste of time to begin with. Though many feel that it is effective, the tags should be more relevant towards the music and what people would be searching for in those tags. This article explains the options that Google Ad Words, Facebook Ads, BlogAds, and AdBrite offer to make online advertising easier. As Google is the "undisputed leader" of online advertising, it is very simple to set up ad words with an account and begin advertising through keywords, websites, phrases and so on that you gain complete control of. The user chooses Maximum Spend or Cost-Per-Click and then everything is done. Facebook ads are easy to create, can involve pictures or images and give the opportunity to connect with the 44 million subscribers across the globe and allows the user to filter age, gender, geographics and much more. BlogAds is well known by many Artists and Labels around the world and is increasingly growing a reputation for themselves. AdBrite is the alternative to most of the advertising networks, they are "flexible, have no frills and are easy to use". With AdBrite it takes about 15 minutes to build an advertising campaign and it offers all the same options as any other advertising network does. Over all advertising online is not as difficult to do as people deem it to be, it could take as little as 15 minutes to have an ad set up for yourself at very low to no cost. Though it requires drive and effort, the tools are there for people to utilize.
Tags: Online Advertising, Google Ad Words, Facebook Ads, BlogAds, AdBrite, keywords.
Article Title: ADVERTISING AGENCIES AS CULTURAL INTERMEDIARIES � Linking Corporations to Culture [Chapter 8, p.135-136] Article Source: Turow, Joseph, and Matthew P. McAllister. The advertising and consumer culture reader. New York: Routledge, 2009. Print. Article Author(s): Aidan Kelly, Katrina Lawlor & Stephanie O�Donohoe Reviewed by: Yan Chi Jennifer Li
Abstract: Kelly, Lawlor and O�Donohoe describes the culture of advertising agencies, labeling the role of advertisers as �cultural intermediaries�. The name cultural intermediaries defines them as mediators, the middle-men, those who translate cultural trends given their understanding in society - seeing as they are often influenced by marketing research when creating advertisements. This means that cultural intermediaries as a group provides a critical link between corporations and the world of culture. Thus, cultural knowledge is the central element to the production of advertising and the meanings they emulate. Advertising creative�s incorporate everyday life into advertisements through their observations of the social world, and then incorporate these observations into symbols of mass consumption by applying them into consumer goods. This means ad creators, or cultural intermediaries, hold a kind of ideological power within our consumer culture. This can be portrayed through Foucault�s panopticon � through observation we are able to penetrate through human behavior and exercise power and control. Just as the organization of the panopticon, advertising agencies operate as a central power and observation within culture and society, which is made possible through consumer research knowledge. However, ad agencies are economically dependent on their business � so we see an asymmetrical power relation between ad agencies and corporate clients.
Tags: Advertising, market research, power of advertising agencies and their role in society, relationship between ad creators and consumers, advertising encoding.
Abstract: As the title suggests, the selected article entails the top seven trends used in online ad design. Today, online advertising has become a potentially lucrative option for many companies. �A study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers calculated that advertising revenue in the United States increased by $1.3 billion dollars to an astounding $7.3 billion in 2003.� This creates a competitive market virtually in the online space. Hence, it is important to familiarize with effective advertising trends online in order to be at an advantage for effective marketing. The seven trends Conary focuses on are shapes, colors, imagery, deals, interactivity, sizes and layouts and fonts. Firstly, all ads usually feature some kind of shapes and curves. Conary uses big name companies as examples: Weightwatchers utilizes organic shapes such as circles and arcs to appeal to target audiences. Whereas before there is more of the use of hard-edged and rigid shapes, the trend recently observed has changed to use more �softer�, comforting and more appealing forms. Trend number two involves colors, where the vast color combination of orange and blue used in online ads can be noticed. Thirdly, Conary describes how popular online ads have started using images of �customers� in their web design e.g. happy children playing. Trend number four � deals � portrays the popular trend of seasonal and sales advertising in response to the market status of the product. Interactivity is trend five. This shows the emergence of a new type of online ad with the help of Macromedia flash. When browsing the Web, it�s hard to miss the interactive banner ads. Trend six describes the most common and most-used ad size used in online ad design. This ranges from 468X60 pixels to 120X600 pixels, depending on shape and type of ad. Lastly, the most popularly used font is now sans-serif.
While all these trends afore-mentioned seem natural and obvious, they are subtle in their effectiveness. They are not obvious to the eye or to everyone as people usually see just the big picture - it is these small trends that make up the bigger picture. I understand that since the article was published in 2004, some of these trends are no longer relevant, e.g. the color schemes. However, the elements of these trends are very much sill significant.
Tags: online advertisements, online ad designs, trends.
Article Title: Selling the Suburbs: Exploring Representations of Social Diversity in Marketing Media in Markham, Ontario Article Source: http://suburbs.planning.dal.ca/Docs/KPerrott_SellingSuburbs.pdf Article Author(s): Katherine Perrott Reviewed by: Paul Trzcinko
Abstract: This article is written in December 2007 and explains how the media is a driving force for establishing and maintaining commodity-dependent communities through imagery in advertising. In the age of suburbia, the outdoor scene has become covered in billboards and sales centres promoting new residential developments. The article explains that farms are being converted into suburbs, and developers and builders begin to shape the look and feel of their future community through marketing material. Advertisements for new residential developments function as a prologue in the story of what that future community will be like: they show pictures of who will live there, what they will own, what their houses will look like and what the overall quality of life will be. Builders� advertising plays a significant role in attracting residents to new areas and constructing the character of a new community. New residential developments are packaged in cultural ideologies and sold as commodities. Social messages are imbedded within advertisements and act as a representation of reality. Realities are constructed through advertisements and portray the community ideals the planner envisioned. The marketing themes being used in Markham�s suburban media are: house design and construction, family, home and community, recreation, neighbourhood design and location, exclusivity and prestige, nature and environment, and nostalgia for the past. These themes are projected as ideals, and entice the viewers to accept and conform to the ideals presented in order to receive the implied corresponding lifestyle and attitude. Suburban advertisements cultivate a social landscape through media, and are representations that do not convey meaning on their own or reflect reality. This article goes over the step-by-step process of how media uses advertising to entice people to buy houses then continues selling more commodities after people move in.
Tags: Selling suburbs, Media, Marketing, Advertisements, Social planning, Markham, Ontario.
Abstract: This article is written in April 2009 and explains how the advertising industry is searching for a new medium to maximize return on investment. There is a large number of companies and studies promising new technology but the mobile phone is the latest competitor in the race for media dominance. Mobile technology has captured the imagination and attention of young people which is a largely desired target audience, and is a prime motivator for 39% of American adults. The article explains how heavy reliance and abundance of cell-phones makes them a perfect catalyst for marketing, and although 39% of American adults aren�t motivated by them, they are motivated by the internet and the integration of the internet with cell-phones makes it an advertiser�s dream medium. Advertisers require a tool for delivering their messages, and the cell-phone is ideal for establishing an interpersonal connection between the advertisement and the recipient.
Tags: Advertising, Media, Mobile phone, Cell phone, Mobility, Future.
Abstract: Recently Google has made one of the biggest changes to its search algorithm (affecting 12% of searches) to solve for low quality search results, specifically websites that copy content or lack original content. Google has even created a Chrome browser extension where users can block unwanted searches. Consequences of this algorithm change are affecting more than the intended �content farms� which has sparked anger and controversy from many web masters, bloggers and website owners who�s rankings have been negatively affected since the change. Some tips offered for maintaining high traffic levels with this new algorithm include building on the direct and referral portion of traffic rather than search-based traffic by providing email newsletters, memberships or subscriptions. It�s also important to focus on writing content for people and not search bots. Being critical of websites to link to is also important as the new algorithm not only evaluates content of the website alone, but also content of websites it is linked to. Simply being linked to a bad website can place a website on a badware list. This is a relevant source in the field of online advertising as these algorithm changes have direct effects on how optimizers, content aggregators and content farmers go about generating high rankings and traffic. In an industry which is constantly under renovation, it is crucial to stay current with these trends.
Tags: Google, SEO, web content, search, web engagement, web optimization
Abstract: The internet is the new wave of technology for the past decade and has allowed many businesses to flourish as well as individuals. It uses social networks to act as word of mouth marketing and allow for brands to be discovered and explored. Viral online marketing is not like physical marketing, which involves a large budget, but rather more creativity and creating a fan base which will support a company; therefore social networks to do much of the work for the company. This allows businesses of all sizes to flourish as it is democratic in nature and therefore access to the content is equal. Small businesses can use this to gain exposure and compete with larger businesses. Since online marketing is relatively cheap this should allow for a level playing field for companies of all sizes. Online marketing involve evoking emotions from potential clientele, the most successful viral campaigns are currently interactive flash games, videos and images. These campaigns should be easy to understand in order to capture the audience, and use online mediums to target specific customers (for example Twitter and Facebook) and have incentives such as giveaway�s and contests that would encourage engagement. Online marketing goals are to pass information from person to person, therefore the offer must be worth sharing, and businesses must know their customer and strike interest in their needs/wants. Businesses must track the successfulness of their campaign to �tweak� imperfections and have measurable millstones� (e.g. 6 -9 months). Thus, small businesses have a fair opportunity to gain exposure if they can capture an audience and encourage them to share their company from person to person and can constantly change their campaign to better suit their market.
Article Title: Five Key Ingredients of Lasting Brands Article Source: Entrepreneur Article Author: Gail Goodman Reviewed by: Elisa Reale
Abstract:
Creating a strong and lasting brand amongst various outlets of online advertising presents more challenges compared with regular print advertising. This article provides guidelines of how to maintain a positive brand reputation while marketing through social media. First maintaining a consistent style through all images, logos and writing is crucial for better brand recognition amongst various advertisements. This style should also resonate with any off line advertising. Branding style should also be shared amongst everyone who represents the brand, including employees posting on the company�s behalf online. Consistent branding can become problematic when employees� personal accounts or profiles become mixed with the brand�s reputation. Also the correct volume and combination of advertisements throughout various social mediums must also be considered so that the brand is well represented in all areas where the company�s customers are. Lastly, a unique aspect to online advertising is that brand reputation will not only derive from the company itself, but will also be based on feedback available from actual consumers through customer review websites and blogs. Companies must be able to monitor and control for any negative feedback potentially affecting the brand. This article addresses the importance to recognize new issues in maintaining a lasting brand when advertising in interactive social media. As new forms of online advertising becomes available it is important to understand new challenges it might also bring. While it is a great to be more connected with customers, it is important to keep a consistent and professional reputation online that matches the offline brand.
Tags: branding, social media, online marketing, online campaigns
Abstract: Social networks have become increasingly accessible and part of everyday life and routine, they no longer carry the negative stigma of slacker or underachiever rather a cultural norm. The goal is to �monetize� these platforms, this article analyses Facebook�s marketing and how to make money when customers expect �something for nothing�. On average account holders of online social platforms are on for at least �55 minutes� at day, the goal is to advertise to the users without them being fully aware (e.g. what a friend bought, Facebook gifts sponsors). In order to gain revenue Facebook must understand the branding value of connections, which is what their website, is based on connecting people to friends, family etc; because of this it could change the way users consume. Facebook allows your friends to see what you are buying as well as selling which creates a heard effect and allow for new trends to be marketed via updates from people you know. The item purchased could entice others to buy it and it would be as easy as a click. Facebook can take a share of successful sales as revenue. Facebook has tried to make items (e.g. Gifts) to sell but users are reluctant to buy things when they are directly advertised to and have no tangibility, however when disguised in other mediums such as a game they are more willing.
Tags: Facebook, consumer, e-commerce, direct marketing, indirect marketing, social media, Mashable
Article Title: The How-To Guide For Facebook Advertising
Abstract: This article presents you five easy steps on how to launch a Facebook Advertising campaign. First, you need to identify your goals. It may be to increase sales or to expand your viewership. As long as you can come up with some forms of measurable objectives, you are on a great start. Second, get ready to design and develop the ad. The ad image is extremely important. Viewers likely get the most information about your product from the imagery instead of the text. You are recommended to include a headshot of a person to attract more eyeballs. When it comes to the landing page, connecting your viewers to an external, campaign specific page might be the best practice. The next step is to target your audience. You might want to find out which specific demographic is mostly interested your product. Consider how factors such as age, sex and location can help your pinpoint your target segment. Forth, define cost structure. You can either choose to pay cost per click(CPC) or cost per impression (CPI). CPI might be most helpful if you simply want to expose your brand to a wider audience. On the other hand, CPC might be the best choice if you want specific returns on investment. Finally, you should launch the ad campaign, measure the results and tweak your design and repeat the process. It is crucial for you to learn what works and what not and to continuously improve on your campaign.
Tags: online advertising, facebook, campaign, cost per click, cost per impression
This Article talks about how to impove website designs that increases usiblilty. While the article contains little that is novel, the lessons it teaches have not reached widely enough: there are all too many web sites that are a continual source of frustration and stress to users. (the paper begins by explaining why she chose to write a printed book on web design: for comprehensive, sustained arguments online reading is not yet as effective as print. Another consideration is that, going by the utter un-usability of so many corporate web sites, there must be many web site managers who don't actually use the web: some of these might read a printed volume.)
At the core of this article is , and two thirds of it by page-count are content, and site design. The first covers cross-platform design, the importance of minimising response times, how to use links effectively, and the advantages and disadvantages of style-sheets and frames. The second covers writing for the web, micro-content (titles, headlines and so forth), and multimedia content (images, animation, audio, and video). The last covers navigation, home pages ("splash screens must die"), search support, and "URL design". Other sections cover special usability issues with intranets, accessibility for users with disabilities, and internationalisation and localisation; in a final part Jayne takes a stab at predicting the future of the Web.
Because this web usability study addresses underlying ideas rather than specific technologies, it will date far less rapidly than most books on web publishing. It doesn't contain as much as its four hundred pages would suggest, since a lot of space is used for screen shots of example web pages. (These are not, however, gratuitous, as is often the case with books on HTML.) Web publishing is very different to paper publishing, but this article is a high quality, usable resource.
Tags: web pages, Usibility, Norman, Internet
Article Title:: How do consumers search for and appraise information on the world wide web? Qualitative study using focus groups, usability tests, and in-depth interviews
This paper provides an empirical characterization of user actions at the web browser. The study is based on an analysis of 4 months of logged client-side data that describes user actions with recent versions of Netscape Navigator. In particular, the logged data allow us to determine the title, URL and time of each page visit, how often they visited each page, how long they spent at each page, the growth and content of bookmark collections, as well as a variety of other aspects of user interaction with the web. The results update and extend prior empirical characterizations of web use. Among the results show that web page revisitation is a much more prevalent activity than previously reported (approximately 81% of pages have been previously visited by the user), that most pages are visited for a surprisingly short period of time, that users maintain large (and possibly overwhelming) bookmark collections, and that there is a marked lack of commonality in the pages visited by different users. These results have implications for a wide range of web-based tools including the interface features provided by web browsers, the design of caching proxy servers, and the design of efficient web sites.
Keywords:social media, web use; WWW, navigation; revisitation
Abstract:Cable's article on The Future Investment in Social Media deals with analyzing statistics from the Social Media and Online PR report to confront the issues some companies have with social media (Cable, 2010). The issues coincide with the difficulty in measuring a return on investment (ROI) with sites on the Internet. Proving to companies that Social Media (SM) will have an ROI was very difficult although Cable explains there are vast amounts of analytics that will precisely give that kind of information. He goes on to explain that 80% of companies use only Facebook and Twitter as their main form of SM having a decline on other forms such as podcasts, and social book marking (Cable, 2010). There is although an ever-growing location based approach to SM using applications, which allows the user to pinpoint their location at any given time thus promoting smaller company locations. In regards to ROI, Cable conducted some research and found that UK companies indulge very little in SM in comparison to the US and within the next year companies are expected to increase SM by 83% (according to companies surveyed) (Cable, 2010). Cable expresses his enthusiasm in more companies indulging in SM, although most keep no record of ROI�s thus leading him to believe they are not using it to maximize their businesses the way they should. Companies are not �connecting the dots� and observing which forms of SM are effective through their ROI�s, they just follow Facebook and Twitter trends. Cable explains the necessity of having a record of ROI in order to see what forms of SM are effective for each company. This will allow a company to come up with a creative social media strategy, which eventually leads to a large return on investment.
Tags: Return on Investment (ROI), Social Media (SM), Companies, Facebook, Twitter
Article Title:QR Codes Gaining Prominence Thanks to Few Big Players
Abstract: This article explains the increasing experimentation of QR codes within company marketing campaigns. Large companies such as Best Buy, Macy�s, Home Depot, and Target are all beginning to explore various ways to use QR codes to provide more information to their consumers thus increasing profits. The only issues with codes are not everyone knows how to use or scan one to retrieve information. At this experimentation stage the consumer�s knowledge on how to operate the codes are essential in determining its effectiveness which is why Macy�s contribution in educating consumers has come a long way. Macy�s put in the most amount of effort in making their consumer aware of how to use these codes by posting instructions all over every store and filling all employees lanyards (over 100,000) with steps on how to use one (Zmuda, 2011). The first step Macy�s provided was to download ScanBuy, software used to take a picture of the code to retrieve information. By explaining how to use QR codes, QR code usage increased significantly within the span of a month. Best Buy followed Macy�s campaign and posted QR codes on most of their products for product knowledge. When a customer scans a code, Best Buy is aware of what items are more popular than others. They are also able to measure the usage of particular codes in the store. Overall this article explains QR code experimental steps companies have overcome to test the effectiveness of QR codes in their marketing campaigns. Companies understand it is hard to measure its ROI if consumers do not know how to use one, although with the help of Macy�s and other large companies the use of QR codes may increase vastly in the future.
Tags: QR Codes, Macy�s, experiment, Best Buy, scan, consumer
Abstract: This article provides six strategies to help businesses develop a social media strategy. The article identifies that social media tools provide many benefits for a company: increase traffic to website, generate exposure and buzz, develop reputation, and improve search ranking. The six strategies the article provides are to create and maintain a blog, create a Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Google Places account. Once the company has created a social media strategy the article provides three ideas to help further the strategy. The article suggests to offer discounts and promotions, train your staff (they can post information as well), and to promote each of your channels by including social media URL�s on the company�s business card.
Abstract: Facebook and Twitter have estimated market values in the billions of dollars, yet only six percent use social media to get financial information. The poll, however, did have results suggesting that individuals under 30 are more inclined to use social media to get financial information. This new growing trend has led to many Canadian financial institutions creating Facebook pages and Twitter feeds. The article suggests that a lack of regulation for providing investment information on these platforms as one of the main reasons why financial institutions have a small impact on social media websites.
Tags: Social Media, Facebook, Twitter, Financial Institutions
Abstract: The article posits that advertising rarely thrives on Social Networking Sites, such as Facebook and YouTube. Statistics revealed the click through rate on social networking sites is lower than any other sites in general. In 2008, Youtube�s revenue (200 million) barely makes up only 1 percent of Google�s overall income. McConnell argues that it is unethical to advertise on consumer-generated content. There are several reasons why social advertising isn�t popular. First one being users might repulse against the idea that their personal conversations are constantly monitored and monetized. Second, major advertisers do not want to have their brands associated with armature, consumer-generated content like many videos on YouTube. They prefer to advertise on major media sites (e.g. Hulu) that show professional content. Finally, viral marketing on social networking sites can be extremely popular, but only when the ads look nothing like an ad and are free to show. Viral videos on YouTube have taken a form that disguise the brand, some times completely omit it, while putting the emphasis on authenticity as well as creativity. The author points out that these ads are more entertaining and less threatening than the ones you see on Facebook. They do not target a specific demographic. They are there for everyone to stumble across. The simplest economic solution to social media, as suggested by the author, may be donation.
Tags: social media, social networking site, social advertising, YouTube, Facebook, viral marketing
Abstract: This article is from Todd Kelsey�s book �Social networking spaces: From Facebook to Twitter and Everything in Between� which analyses the Facebook pages and Facebook Ads from the aspects of online advertising industries and businesses. Facebook is an online network community which people can create pages about anything you want to promote from person to brand, or it can be used to publish news, announcements and ideas. It provides a platform for online advertisings which can be used to promote any organizations and businesses or anything else. �It is an ideal platform for spreading the word about anything from a garage sale to an international movie release, because of the social context.� (Kelsey) Facebook ads are paid ads and usually simple. They are mostly about products or websites. However, it may also advertise fro groups and organizations. In order to acquire the right to post ads on Facebook, you can pay a certain amount per thousand impressions (CPM), which means the number of people who see the ads or paying as cost per click (CPC). After that, you can calculate your return on investment (ROI). The Facebook advertising platform is easy to use and do not require online advertising professionals. There are opportunities to stay-at-home people looking for extra income and job seekers. The Facebook ads platform provides a way for individuals and people without advertising professions to get their feet into this business. People can approach businesses as freelancers, start creating a facebook page, running Facebook ads and then create revenue.
Tags: Facebook pages, Facebook advertising, ads platform, freelancers. Article Title: Advertising Online: Engaging Consumers with Web 2.0 Article Source: Advertising 2.0: Social Media Marketing in a Web 2.0 World. Online book at: http://books.google.ca/books?id=ScdF1-vHvHwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=advertising+2.0+social+media+marketing+in+a+web+2.0+world+tracy+l.+tuten&source=bl&ots=2KLb5iSGPC&sig=HpcLHuLBFEp2cZQRmluGmMRunGE&hl=en&ei=mbyGTcGlBYLqgQfR6fW9CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false Article Author: Tracy L. Tuten Reviewed by: Xuyang Bai Abstract: The dramatically development of online networks has brought great landscape to the advertising industries. While consumers moved their activities to internet, the industry has followed consumers online and open up new forms of advertising to relate to consumers in their virtual reality. After the online communities have moved to the age of web 2.0, the internet is more about the unlimited communications between each consumers and individuals behaviours rather than one way communication. The author argues that active brand engagement is required to be filled in advertisings in online world rather than one way communication of traditional advertisings, which have to be more about conversations, connections ahd shared control and less about passive consumption of packaged content rather than one way communication advertisings.So the social media marketing has also need to be moved into a new stage of advertising 2.0, a new modes of advertising for business to business and business to consumer organizations. This book introduces us the shifts through the emergence and appliacation of cosial networks in web 2.0 like virtual worlds, blogs, online communities and online games. And also highlights what companies need to do in order to build relationship with online customers in the new century.
Article Title: Effectiveness of online advertisement factors in recalling a product Article Source: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6167/is_1_14/ai_n55040674/?tag=content;col1 Article Author(s): Ghasem Alijani, Louis Mancuso, Obyung Kwun, Adnan Omar Reviewed by: Kalam Poon Abstract: Online advertising is more cost effective than traditional advertising; it increases efficiency and provides more flexibility. According to the journal, the promotion of online sales and advertising revenue in the US has grown from $8.23 billion to $12.5 billion in five years. One of the concerns of such rapid growth is privacy issue. Google and Yahoo are leaders in the search engine advertising market. Their search engine provides advertisers with access to affiliate networks. They provide geographical data from the consumer�s IP address. With the use of click through rates, there has been a rise in online frauds. In 2005, the fraudulent clicking cost the advertisers over $800 million. A survey that ran over 5 months with over 3000 participants, discussed whether online advertisement had anything to do with their online purchasing. The findings revealed that three factors affected the customer�s decision: Product, Motivation, and Demographic. Participants agreed that the price of the product attract them the most when recalling an online advertisement. Motivation from embedded video, advergame and music also play a large role in helping the participants recall a product. Lastly, the survey showed that the most active group for online shopping are ages 25 to 34 and that females (two-thirds) are more likely to recall the product online. Tags: online advertisement, growth, sales, CTR, online shopping
Abstract: Advertisers have been targeting children for long period of time but studies show that the income of children and their influence on their parents have increased over time. There was an increase in the number of available television channels which lead to smaller audiences for each channel. Through the use of internet, advertisers can pave new paths to narrow cast to children since it is becoming increasingly difficult to target children in television. New marketing techniques utilize online marketing and stealth marketing through embedding products into films, online and video games. The marketing strategies target children under the age of eight and the author believed that it is unethical because the children do not realized the persuasiveness of television due to the lack of cognitive skills. With new stealth marketing, not only does it undermine young children but even adolescents. Calvert discusses how the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communication Commission have implemented laws that restricted targeting children but the commission�s authority reside mostly over the air waves and not on the internet. The author then discusses how the new generation of children are being brought up with influences that will ultimately affect their behavior and personality. Tags: children, kids, consumer, advertising, marketing
Chief Communications Officer, Jeff Swystun analyzes the current trends of social media and its ability to facilitate people-to-people connectivity, a crucial aspect that is a step up from the traditional people-to-brand connection. The people-to-people connection fulfills individual desires to be connected to others who share similar interests and values. However, Swystun predicts that in the future, consumers will be so overwhelmed with choices that stems from the increasing value of credibility of information from consumers who share the same values. Because of constant advancements in technology, namely web accessibility and social media, the consumer voice has become a powerful tool that continues to make branding a "democratic process" and, as Swystun suggests, the role of marketing/advertising is to make this choice easier for these consumers but this has not necessarily been the proven outcome. Social media has contributed to the complex decision-making process that consumers face in a society dominated by branding and retail competition. The "metric" that Swystun refers to is the defense mode that consumers are likely to go into in the near future as a result of the overwhelming amount of product and branding information they are bombarded with. Consumers will learn to take an approach that allows them to filter out what they know they do not want to engage in. Ultimately, it is a way of countering the marketing and advertising objective of immersing consumers in branding information as much as possible.
Tags: Marketing, Advertising, Consumers, Branding, Social Media
Abstract: This article features valuable tips and tricks on how to use YouTube to its full advantage to promote. It begins with Robin Good talking about the success of his personal channel and how to create buzz surrounding your videos in order to gain subscribers. He mentions the benefits of having your videos reach external sites that lead to your channel, a way of attracting curious users. He also talks about the benefits of having a personal channel through which you can edit and cater to your needs, interests, and how you want your company to be portrayed. Robin Good mentions the importance of narrowing topics in order to eliminate competition and create a strong focus and what you hope to promote. He also discusses the benefits of posting short clips that have the potential to go viral and create more buzz about your channel. The importance of creating videos under 5 minutes is also a tip the Good suggests in order to maintain the interest of viewers, unless the video content is particularly interesting. Also, for guru channels, it is important to create videos that are uncommon or, even better, never done before. Tagging is extremely important as Good suggests it is beneficial to try and find a less popular category that links to your video in order to eliminate competition.
Tags: YouTube, Online Media Marketing, Promoting
Article Title: Why $0.00 is the future of business Article Source: http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free?currentPage=1 Article Author(s): Chris Anderson Reviewed by: Siong Fu Eugene Lim This article tries to demonstrate the effectiveness of $0.00, which is creating a free business model. By offering something for free, you can create a hook for a portion of the demographic that you couldn�t have obtained otherwise. An example is Hotmail providing a free email system. When Hotmail offered this, it was done with little strings attached, and most importantly it was free. All that was included was a little blurb at the bottom that said something along the lines of �This message was sent with Hotmail, visit hotmail.com for more information�. By attached a small bit of text at the bottom, they pointed people towards Hotmail.com. In fact many claim that this is the first instance of �viral marketing� before people even knew what vial marketing was. Part 2 of the $0.00 marketing is what to do after people are using your service by using a concept called a loss leader. Much like how Walmart sells a microwave for $20 (a clear lost), they have lured you into their store, and websites can do the same. Free services like webmail is the loss leader which makes you step into the online companies� other services. Now that you are using Hotmail/Google/Yahoo, you unwittingly open yourself up to other products like Bing/Google Search/Yahoo Search and their other services. The article also into showing how this zero dollar marketing is spreading into real life, like how Artist share their music free before they go on tour to get attention. Those that don�t follow this new business model are going to get left behind when �Free� becomes commonplace. Tags: Business models, Online Marketing
Article Title: Its Modern Trade: Web Users Get as Much as They Give Article Source: http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free?currentPage=1 Article Author(s): Jim Harper Reviewed by: Siong Fu Eugene Lim This article is about cookies, targeting advertisements and privacy, with a �so what� attitude around it. The main argument is you get what you give. Cookies do track your interest, sites you been to and attempts to guess your age, gender, income, family status and so on. But so what? You may give certain information up, but in return you gain more customizable and relevant advertising. If cookies were heavily regulated at the start of the internet, then Google wouldn�t have been the search engine giant that it is today. Google would have struggled to be a mediocre search engine and not be able to create many free services that it has today. It defended that it is highly unlikely that websites that store private information would sell it, as it would undercut into its marketing business and into its own profitability. If cookies and other tracking methods were to be an �Opt In feature� rather than an �Opt out�, then people wouldn�t participate in this, which will lead to many free features of the internet to have not been created because of incentives from advertising. Not just big companies like Google/Yahoo/Microsoft, but other smaller websites and bloggers would less likely create content for people to use.
Creating an HTML newsletter for a company is easier said than done. In his article, 'Create Stunning HTML That Just Works' , Matthew Pattern discusses how to plan, implement, and evaluate an email marketing campaign in great deal. Matthew believes that a successful html newsletter should look just as good if viewed as plain text, and so his first exercise is to create a plain text email newsletter. Through a series of exercises and examples readers are given the opportunity to learn and practice the html code required for email newsletters. The design of email newsletters is also discussed.
Matthew Patterson's article is a must-read for anyone designing email newsletters for clients. The detailed description of HTML code appropriate for email will save designers many headaches, and if Matthew's best practices are followed your email newsletters have a much better chance of skipping the spam folder.
This five part article by Derek Vaughan introduces readers to Google AdWords and provides tutorials on how to make the most of your AdWords campaign. Derek begins his article with the most important part of a Google AdWords campaign, building a list of keywords. Derek provides a number of strategies for building your keyword list, and refers to other software. In general keywords should be specific and relevant.
Google AdWords doesn't provide marketers with much room for creativity, so marketers must consider how their advert can be distinguished from others. Derek explains each part of an AdWords ad; the title, description, and link. Derek explains the title can be optimized by including the most popular search phrase inside of it. Descriptions and links must also be relevant. Derek suggests trying a few different strategies and messages, and seeing with one works best with your target audience.
Derek concludes his article with tips on how to decrease the amount of money you will have to pay for AdwWords by removing popular keywords such as "free" and "software", and by having a creative bidding strategy. The only thing left to do is track the results of the campaign, and make changes to the campaign if need be.
Derek Vaughan's AdWords strategies can save companies money while increasing their visibility in Google and associated pages.
Tags: Google, AdWords, marketing, seo, online, advertisiment, search engine optimization, keywords, bidding Article Title: Beware of Social Media Marketing Myths Article Source: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2009/tc20090522_078978.htm Article Author(s): Gene Marks Reviewed by: Synthia Truong
Abstract: This article discusses five social marketing myths. These myths are tips for small businesses. The first myth is that social media sites are free, in which this is true to an extent. The hidden cost is time - time to respond to customer questions, to monitor any activity, or to do anything that will create a constant flow of activity. The second myth is that social media sites are a great place to find new customers. The article mentions how most avid users on Facebook and Myspace are adolescents or teenagers. Small businesses benefit more if they start with social networking sites designated for businesses. The third myth is the idea that you need to be on all the big sites. Businesses should pick a few and start creating leads on those. The fourth myth is that social networking sites are for marketing. The article discusses that it�s for service � to provide customer service. The last myth is that social networking is the future. There have been declines in uses of some of the networking sites so businesses should not waste efforts in investing all their time with social networking sites.
Abstract: This article touches on how to market to teenagers online. Goodstein mentions two key factors in targeting teens through online advertising. The first called �The Lying Game�. Goodstein discusses how teenagers and adolescents use lying to discover different identities and to join the �cool� sites. As well, children lie to weed out child predators, in which some cases their parent encourage them to do so. But, if teens are lying about their personal information, behavioural target ads will not be successful in their target market. The second factor is control. Teens do not like pop-up ads or spam, even through text messaging. Goodstein explains that allowing teens control over what ads they prefer, respect given to service and advertisers will be positive. The article summarizes that online advertisers need to be transparent to teens about their advertising. They need to engage teens to find what kind ads teens would like to see and reward them so that they keep coming back.
Tags: online marketing, teens, advertising
Article Title: Revisit Your Marketing Plan Article Source: American Agent & Broker [St. Louis], vol.83, no.3, pp.46,48, 2011 http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2011/03/01/revisit-your-marketing-plan Article Author(s): Jerry Thompson Reviewed by: Zinan (Lisa) Wang Abstract: Thompson suggests that spring should signal a time to re-examine and re-animate insurance companies� marketing campaign to see what aspects are working and what aren�t. Most of us are accustomed to online shopping for clothes and shoes but this article interestingly found that 61 percent of all insurance shopping starts online. He starts off by talking about insurance companies� websites being the public face of a business. Customers nowadays are not only internet-savvy, but are perfectly comfortable with shopping for insurance online. Thompson notes that the most important things about an insurance company�s web site are its navigation and accuracy. His advice is that if you can�t keep your websites up-to-date; don�t even bother starting one in the first place. Another tool he recommended for online marketing for insurance companies are social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Again, Thompson stresses on the importance of accuracy of the information provided on these sites. Thompson argues that internet leads are the most cost-effective way to market online because it�s easy to control volume, costs and risk types and companies don�t need a large marketing department to generate the tasks. However, Thompson advises that companies must be very careful when searching for an Internet leads company because there are many scam artists out there and only committed companies should use them. To summarize, tuning up companies� marketing campaign can result in significant business increase therefore it is worth the time and effort to construct an effective online marketing campaign. Tags: web sites, viral marketing, insurance industry, social networking sites, online insurance
Article Title: The Estee Lauder Companies� Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Announces Unprecedented Online Marketing Campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month Article Source: Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week [Atlanta], Oct 18, 2008 http://www.pr-inside.com/the-estee-lauder-companies-breast-cancer-r834969.htm Article Author(s): Jennifer Mann Reviewed by: Zinan (Lisa) Wang Abstract: This journal articles talks about Estee Lauder�s partnership with leading media companies and web destinations to connect with younger audiences to heighten the awareness and education on breast cancer. The digital effort partners with highly trafficked social media and social networking websites such as Yahoo, TotalBeauty.com, BeautyBlogNetwork, etc� Their goal is to expand their Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign (BCA)�s word-of-mouth message and provide individuals with a platform to share inspirational stories of survivorship. The reason why Estee Lauder has decided to partner with social media sites is because they want to reach younger women since every year younger and younger women are being diagnosed with breast cancer. One part of the campaign includes a viral user-generated content based campaign themed �share a survivor story, inspire the world.� With the social media company Brickfish. It is a contest where individuals will share personal stories, users can then vote on these stories and prizes will be awarded for iconic survivorship stories. BCA message will also be spread on MySpace, Facebook and several other social networks through applications such as SuperPoke, TopFriends, etc� Sweepstakes and educational contents will also be shared on TotalBeauty.com (the largest online unbiased catalog of beauty products for women). To summarize, Estee Lauder is one of the world�s leading manufacturers and marketers of skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products and it�s effectively using the internet to target younger women and raise awareness in breast cancer. Tags: media companies, social networking websites, Estee Lauder, Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign
Article Title: Attacks by “Anonymous” WikiLeaks Proponents not Anonymous Article Source: http://doc.utwente.nl/75331/1/2010-12-CTIT-TR.pdf Article Author(s): Aiko Pras, Anna Sperotto, Giovane C. M. Moura, Idilio Drago, Rafael Barbosa, Ramin Sadre, Ricardo Schmidt and Rick Hofstede Reviewed by: Wilfred Tang
Abstract: The article gives a brief introduction to the hacktivist group ‘Anonymous’ defined by their actions during the release of CableGate by Wikileaks. The group ‘Anonymous’ conducted a series of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against companies that froze Wikileaks’ assets. They DDoS attacked MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, PostFinance, Moneybrookers.com, and Amazon.com websites. The article argues the lack of anonymity despite the group calling itself ‘Anonymous’, arguing that the tool most used to perform DDoS attacks do not secure the users anonymity. The tool for DDoS attacking websites is the Low Orbit Ion Cannon (LOIC). It sends packets in order to flood the internet communications protocols of the server. This essentially shuts down the site or slows it down to a crawl. It describes the most prominent update of the tool, and its ability for remote access in order to avoid and counter litigations. Further evolutions of the tool include the web-based version that runs off the browser allowing for easier access. The article goes into the basic mechanics of how the tool functions, both the program version and the browser version. It demonstrates existing loopholes within the current legal frame work to adapt to these new methodologies of attack. It critiques the current tool as insufficient in keeping anonymity and subtly offers methods of countering trace backs.
Tags: (categorize) Mobile, Gadgets, Apple, Media, Big Tech, Google, Mobile Ads, Apple TV, Google TV, PS3, Xbox 360, Advertising, Death Of TV, Serious
Mobile ad companies have been pushing on cellphone ads for half a decade, and over the past year, have started to tap into tablets like Apple's iPad.
But these mobile-focused companies are also starting to get excited about serving another device in the near future, even though it isn't a mobile gadget at all: The Internet-connected TV in your living room. As millions of people hook up their videogame consoles to the Internetfor network gaming and Netflix streaming, add new devices to their living rooms like Apple TV or Roku boxes, and as more TVs themselves ship with Internet access and apps, the potential for advertising on these devices is increasing. So mobile ad companies are tinkering. Specifically, we've heard:
At least one big mobile ad network is experimenting with ads for Sony PS3s.
Google TV already includes some tools to support advertising, though ads aren't running.
Other firms are looking at ads for AppleTV, Samsung, and other platforms. (You would assume that Apple would be coming out with an iAd for Apple TV at some point.)
Mobile ad companies think they have a leg up here because of their experience with apps on other limited-power, relatively closed-ecosystem devices, like smartphones and tablets. TV app publishers will need advertising SDKs, and these mobile firms have a lot more experience making in-app ad SDKs than anyone else.
Article Title: Top 5 Google Tools to Help Local Businesses with Online Marketing Article Author(s): Chris Marentis Reviewed by: (your name): Camille Ramsingh
Abstract: (250 words or so, summarizing main points)
Google never fails to impress or provide local businesses with tools and resources to boost sales and increase growth. The key, however, is implementing and utilizing these tools effectively, but first, we must know what they are before we can put them to effective use. Luckily, our clients benefit from our continuous goal of staying-on-top of what�s going on in Google-land. In our opinion, the top 5 applications provided by Google that can be utilized by local business to incorporate into their online marketing strategies are outlined below with some supporting evidence as to why. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article Title: VideoSense—Towards Effective Online Video Advertising Article Source: Multimedia ’07- Proceedings of the 15th International conference on Multimedia Article Authors: Tao Mei, Xian-Sheng Hua, Linjun Yang, Shipeng Li Reviewed By: Werdah Syed
Abstract: Using online videos for advertisements have revolutionized video ads with the use of online websites such as YouTube in combination with social media websites such as FaceBook, and Twitter. As of recently, YouTube has started to display video ads at the beginning of videos. In this article, the authors discuss the overwhelming importance of ad delivery through an online video service called ‘VideoSense’. This website has the ability to associate relevant video ads with online videos and inserts them where it finds it appropriate to do so. “Given an online video, Video Sense is able to detect a set of candidate ad insertion points based on content discontinuity and attractiveness, select a list of relevant candidate ads ranked according to global textual relevance, and compute local visual-aural relevance between each pair of insertion points and ads.” The major difference between VideoSense and YouTube is that websites such as YouTube match ads based on textual information and at the beginning or end of a video. VideoSense on the other hand inserts ads with in video streams and ensure that they are contextually relevant visually and aurally. While this improves the relevancy of ads it is still a highly intrusive form of advertising. These ads are displayed using thumbnails, the highlighted thumbnails have a yellow trim around then and they are displayed in the right panel of the site in a filmstrip menu. VideoSense is supposed to be the most effective form of video advertising. Similarly to how Google targets certain ads towards certain users, VideoSense uses user-targeting technology for the diffusion of video ads. Their future plans include embedding a variety of ads into online videos, including textual, audio and image ads. Tags: Online video advertising, contextual relevance, less intrusiveness
Article Title: The Impact of Search Engine Optimization on Online Advertising Article Source: In Proceedings of the 8th international conference on Electronic commerce: The new e-commerce: innovations for conquering current barriers, obstacles and limitations to conducting successful business on the internet (ICEC '06).Article Author(s):Bo Xing and Zhangxi LinReviewed by: Werdah Syed Abstract: Online advertising can help a business accomplish several goals. Most importantly, it helps businesses gain revenue, and spread brand awareness. In this article, the authors contribute the success of online advertisements to search engine optimization which helps businesses make profits. The two types of search engine advertising are credited to: 1) paid placement and 2) search engine optimization (SEO). Paid placement displays ads that are sponsored or paid results. Charges apply for the usage of certain keywords or for a certain location of an ad. SEO on the other hand is “the practice of optimizing web pages in a way that improves their ranking in the web search results, which are also known as natural or organic results because they are supposed to reflect relevancy in searchers’ standard.” The article explains that SEO is gaining popularity because of the increase in CPC and because of the appeal of organic results. Factors that affect SEO are page rank which is Google’s algorithm for measuring SEO effectiveness. Another key point that the article mentions is ‘algorithm robustness’ which “impacts a search engine’s advertising revenue in a competitive market.” The article also discusses how Yahoo was merely an effective form of online advertising. It wasn’t until 1998 when Google was launched that search engines became an increasingly form of online advertising. The willingness to pay for online advertisements plays a huge part in SEO.
Abstract: It is a reflection and critique of how we garner information regarding the success or failure of products on the market. The critique makes 4 major arguments. First, it states that contagion, or a viral effect, is an unassailable premise. The argument is as follows; the existence of contagion is not consistent with the scientific method, there are more insightful questions to be asked rather than viral effect as an answer to all, and lastly by simply concluding that contagion (viral effect) is the reason prevents us from asking further questions. Secondly, it compares survey data versus massive passive data. The article critiques both methodologies, the former being able to specifically hone into the specific topic of interest, the latter has massive amounts of data available for mining. The problem is that the former is expensive to conduct, and imperfect responses. The problem with the former is the lack of solid connection between friendship ties (Social Networks) or retweets (Twitter), furthermore the data may not fully reflect the topic of interest. Third, it contrasts the difference between experimental data and observational data. The former is easier to obtain and lowers the threat of omitted variables. The last point is contingencies in social influence. This is an important point in that influential individuals are effective seeding points for viral based marketing campaigns. The article claims that sociometric leadership is only weakly correlated and notes further that heavy users have a greater influence than light users. Further research into opinion leaders will have much practical value.
Abstract: (The original article was published in two halves. Due to its nature, I wanted to mention all the points so I too split the abstract into Part 1 and 2 with respect to the organization of the article. The two parts do not count as two separate abstracts, though.)
Part 1:
The Internet was not always the way it is today. The clutter of ads, the abundance of information, the option to shop online all started with a simple multiplayer game introduced in 1978. Todd R. Weiss outlines 20 Game-Changing Events That Shaped the Internet. Symbolics.com was the first company to register with a Web domain name, thus creating the trend of companies that market themselves online today. The classic banner ad, which most of us have now learned to glance over, was put up in 1994. Weiss claims that even with the first banner ad, companies saw the pressure to join online advertising to compete and survive. NetMarket was the first company to sell merchandise over the Internet; the CEO designed a web-linked music store. Today we see online shopping as the norm, but in 1994, that CEO was somewhat of a genius. After NetMarket came eBay and Amazon. The trend in online shopping was visibly on the rise. There was a time when the public payed for Internet usage by the hour - until AOL stated it would instill monthly charges for users. All the other ISPs soon caught on and followed suite, but not for long, as broadband was welcomed which increased the percentage of US households with Internet from 9 per cent to 64 per cent in just eight years!
Part 2:
After 1994, the focus of the Internet turned to social media and online databases starting with Google, which was actually a project founded by college students. And to think, where would college students be today without the revolutionary Google? Craigslist, which is now used for everything from buying a guitar to finding a job, gained a strong reputation too, as people began selling and buying used cars around 1996. In the same year, e-books were introduced, and then, with the creation of blogs came a social, conversationally structured web which brought to attention a lot of the gaps in commercialization. For instance, Napster, for obvious reasons, was a disaster on the web. Mostly though, it brought to the music industry’s attention that their customers were slowly turning to the Internet for their music entertainment, and that the industry needed to make some fast choices to maintain their businesses. The last few events revolve solely around social media. That is, Skype, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, which brings us to our present day Internet system.
Tags: Internet evolution, shaping the web, online companies, advertising, gaming, online shopping, e-commerce
Using American Idol as their primary selling point, GroupMe is a service that will potentially allow users to receive information via texts from MTV during the show, simply by starting a ‘Featured Group’ with their friends. The anticiaption behind this idea is the ability to hypothetically text an actual dancer, or other infamous/famous person, depending on which Group one signs with. The GroupMe company sees the opportunity in their audience being hooked on text messaging their friends during the show, and intend on using it to their advantage. “Text messaging has real potential as a marketing medium”, and the vp of MTV mobile agrees that it’s a mutual deal where MTV employs new techniques for increased audience ratings and GroupMe gains popularity by linking up with a high-rating show. While the show already has its place in online games and voting contests, they feel that via this concept of texting the members on the show, even more teens will get involved. Obviously there will be an added charge for users to sign into this deal, but for now, GroupMe is more interested in establishing brand identity. The biggest advantage GroupMe has is that television isn’t enough for the younger generation anymore. They want to want to feel as though they are actively contributing to the shows’ outcomes and GroupMe seems to be moving in the right direction towards making that happen.
Tags: GroupMe, group text messaging, American Idol, MTV, show promotion
Article Title:Advertisers Give Google TV a Warm Reception Article Source:BusinessWeek Article Author: Olga Kharif Reviewed by: Amy Luong
Abstract:
Google's interactive TV platform is said to lower costs and improve the targeting of advertising spots because viewers using the technology will be able to search onscreen for more information. Anything that catches the viewer's eye can be searched on YouTube or redirected to advertisers' website.
Advertisers are predicting this as a new medium of getting their message to consumers. Currently advertisers are able to buy Google TV Ads which is an online marketplace where advertisers upload videos to a variety of television networks. But with this new interactive platform, advertisers are able to precisely measure viewers and know how many clicked on their TV ads and used a new "click-to-call" feature to contact advertisers immediately. This will also introduce a pay-per-viewer business model.
This makes TV advertising more affordable compared to traditional TV spots, the current cost is $30 per 1000 viewings. Compared to traditional TV advertising, the US accounted $83 billion in spending.
To track personal searches, Google plans to implement the remote to resemble smartphone keyboards. Other companies that are pursuing interactive TV include Apple, Microsoft and Yahoo. Yahoo's Connected TV services streams movies online from Amazon.com and Blockbuster. Advertisers have a number of options if the ability to combine TV's reach and web's precision prevails.
Tags: Interactive, Google, Google TV, Advertising, TV Ads, Pay-Per-Viewer, Click-to-call, Apple, Microsoft, Yahoo, Stream, Smartphone
Article Title:Apple Takes Share from Google in Mobile Ads Article Source:BusinessWeek Article Author: Olga Kharif Reviewed by: Amy Luong
Abstract:
The new iAd network is grabbing market share when the first advertisements were placed in July. Marketers and advertisers use iAd to place interactive banner ads on Apple products, including popular games and apps. Apple takes a 40% cut while the rest goes to the developers.
One marketer explains their application, when the banners are touched or activated, it opens up a library of videos and other content that promotes the product. Their studies show that 20% of people returned to their ad a second time.
They project that by the end of the year, iAd will pull even with Google, taking 21% of the US mobile advertising market. The market research firm also projects Yahoo and Microsoft sinking into single digits. They expect the US mobile ad market to grow 126% to $500 million. Currently, the online ad market is much larger at $25 billion.
The strengths of iAD include being able to target ads based on buying habits of iTunes users. A drawback is their control over design, and does not allow marketers to target specific devices. Competition is rising with RIM (Research in Motion) as they plan to create a competing network that runs on BlackBerrys and their new tablet.
Tags: iAd, Apple, Mobile Advertising, interactive banner, Google, Marketing, iTunes, RIM
Article Title: Web advertising: new forms of communication on the Internet. Article Source: Google Books Article Author(s): Anja Janoschka Reviewed by: Martha Macatangay
Abstract: This book contains information on both traditional advertising and online advertising. The author even provides a definition of what advertising is and what advertising is for. Her definition states advertising as the “company’s external communication,” that is meant to achieve “higher profits and to benefit from increased sale of advertised products.” She shows what types of advertising worked especially for mass medias. She describes traditional advertising as something that everyone comes across to in their day to day lives such as the town criers from the past to print media, television, radio, newspapers, and even hot-air balloons and buses. The printing press is also talked about and how it has established the basis for mass media communication. The topic of online advertising in this book is focused on web ads such as banners, pop-up windows, and web ad traps. However, she also mentions how these can be targeted to a group of people, an individual, but can also reach beyond those people because of the freedom on the web. Moreover, an entire chapter is dedicated to communication itself. What is communication, what are the two forms of traditional communication, what is the communication in the Internet, and what are the new forms of communication are questions that can be answered in this book. Lastly, the final chapter is about the language of web ads in terms of the concept of persuasion, advertising language, and persuasive linguistics.
Tags: traditional advertising, online advertising, definition, comparison
Article Title: Secrets to Free Advertising Article Source: Google Books Article Author(s): Robert Noll & Anne Brashier Reviewed by: Martha Macatangay
Abstract: This book contains a lot of information covered in class. It talks about all of the ways one can advertise theirselves, their companies, or their products for free through online forms of advertising. It originally talks about the traditional ways of advertising for free such as the classified ads or word of mouth connections. Then it discusses e-mail marketing, social networking through sites like Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and blogging. The main point is to get socially connected online to get noticed; and therefore advertise what you want to advertise and for free. It even talks about the future of this like in Pay Per Click targeted online ads.
Article Title: Bing vs. Google: The battle for your Advertising Dollars Article Source: Entrepreneur Article Author(s): Richard Stokes Reviewed by: Yvonne Lu Abstract: What is the difference in advertising using Bing and advertising using Google. This article states why Bing should be given a chance to reach the top.
Bing has partnered with Yahoo! in 2010. They planned on using a pay-per-click platform, allowing advertisers the chance to use Bing to advertise as an alternative to Google. In order for the customer and to have the most rewarding experience with searches, such as including relevant advertisements. There are seven reasons why Bing deserves the chance advertise for companies:
1) Bid prices are lower – Since Google has been having advertisements for longer, there is a huge competition for the first page spot – which means for cash to pay in order to be on top.
2) Better conversion rates – Since Google is the default search engine for many, it reaches a larger demographic, which means a larger range of advertisements. When using Bing, it may give advertisers the most accurate searches that have relevance to the searches.
3) Better customer support for smaller accounts – Google has people that spend the most money on advertisers to get the better customer support, and help while the rest hardly gets the attention. Bing attempts to have a supporter and helper for a price a lot less – a price most people can meet.
4) Search traffic about to grow – The new partnership with Yahoo! provides Bing more search traffic
5) Advertisers who prepare campaigns ahead will have the advantage – Both companies require an account history before showing their ads. Bing would be faster to establish due to the fewer advertisers
6) Important Google campaign to Bing – Bing is eliminating the features of standardization, formats, minimum price to be able to important features of Google to Bing
7) Diversify – Do not rely solely on one web search, but expand to others Tags: Advertising, Bing, Google, Dollars, Advertiser
Article Title: The unwritten rules of social media Article Source: Entrepreneur Article Author(s): Francine Kizner Reviewed by: Yvonne Lu Abstract:
The social medias: Myspace, Facebook, Twitter is not only about friend requests to see how many friends you have, but also a way to promote self or products on social sites.
1) Be Patient – Do not add or follow random people on Twitter or Facebook, but find people that would benefit you and your business – be more selective by getting referrals, network with people that would be useful.
2) Be inclusive – Don’t be shy about networking and connecting to others – don’t take the chance to alienate others – they may benefit you more than you think
3) Be on Message – Be careful what is going through your social media – once online, stays online. Ask yourself: Would you behave like that in real life?
4) Be transparent – Do not fill out all your information online. Take charge of your account and allow a two way link from you to another social site to easily find you.
5) Be Tactful – Do not immediately send requests and offers, but work on everyday conversations to connect with people first.
6) Be alert – Search up business complains or comments to respond to them instead of having a continuous misunderstanding or reoccurring problems Tags: Social Media, Facebook, Twitter, Rules
In the article Intro to Search Engine Optimization, Danny Sullivan discusses why it is critical to use keywords, titles, descriptions, tags and links to contextualize the social objects and how to boost the visibility of the social objects to generate more traffic for the website. According to him, SEO is the most effective free method of advertising on the web and the key is to attract the target audience. Some of the most effective marketing strategies of SEO that he mentioned include having keyword analysis which means identifying realistic keywords that get high conversion traffic. He said it is also important to have a simple summary or abstract at the top of the web page. Moreover, content expansion is crucial because the more pages you have on your website the more keywords and terms you show up for. Quality links should also be there, which are the underlined words you click on in articles that lead you to another websites. Furthermore, utilizing the keywords chosen and apply as much relevant content to your home page is vital. Lastly, the other most important strategy he mentioned is developing new content ranks high in terms of importance because it what will keep the target audience coming back. Therefore, SEO helps the company place itself among millions of other content already swimming throughout the World Wide Web.
In the article Social Media Optimization: SMO is the New SEO, Brian Solis discuss how to implement and manage a Social Media Optimization program around your content to increase visibility in the new environments and why a failure to do this could be an enormous loss. According to him the most effective way to promote a product or service is through online advertising through social networking. Online advertising is a successful way of reaching the people because most people tend to spend more time online. In the article, he said online advertising is fairly cheap compared to other forms of advertising. Moreover, visual images online attract more people to click on the advertisement. SMO is a systematic and strategic approach to social media activity such as social networking. It is aimed to attract people to website content. Internet Advertising is a form of SMO which helps maximize online presence of the product or service and is also an effective marketing strategy. He said, SMO is based on viral marketing logics looking for word of mouth through the use of networking in social bookmarking, video and photo sharing websites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, LinkedIn, Orkut, Yahoo!, MSNLiveSpaces and many more. Thus, These social networking sites are an important element of any online reputation management strategy for companies who care about their presence on the web. Majority of the companies advertise through Facebook and Twitter to promote because these two are the most popular social networking sites and are free of cost. Facebook enables you to create groups and create personalized pages which could help reach potential customers because most people are members of Facebook. Furthermore, Twitter is the other social networking site that we have chosen so that people can receive instant updates about the promotions on the product or services. These sites also help the business get crucial feedback from the customers on their product or services.
Article Title: A Review of Online Advertising Effects on the User Experience
Article Source: International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction
Article Author(s): Giorgio Brajnik and Silvia Gabrielli
Reviewed by: Dai Vinh Lam
Abstract:
This article analyzes how online display advertising affect the user’s usability and quality experience on websites. In order to figure the effect of online advertising on web users, the author conduct in depth studies of the psychological explanations of user cognition, affection and behavior. Since the effect can varies depending on the web user, this results in finding of specific features and properties that cause certain types of effect on users. According to the author, online advertising can provide additional information channel to satisfy uses informational or emotional need but at the same time can make thing harder to use. By studying on how online advertising can influence users online experience can help to further improve the online advertisement as well as user online experience. Being able to analyze the effect and attain new findings can also help web designer to further evaluate beyond web user usability and web advertising. This article can be helpful for both online designing and marketing perspective since designing an effective online ad campaign require deep knowledge and understanding about online ads and effects of online ads. This article also points out important facts about online advertising that advertisers needed to avoid in order to advertise successfully.
Article Title: Law and technology: Google AdWords and European trademark law
Article Source: Communications of the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery)
Article Author(s): Bechtold Stefan
Reviewed by: Dai Vinh Lam
Abstract:
After the hit of the Dot COM bubble, the traditional middlemen have become less important and get smaller and smaller as new B2C emerge in the Silicon Valley. These B2C companies deal directly with their customer over the Internet due to develop of Ecommerce. Due to the booming of technologies and Ecommerce, the law starts to have difficult in coping with these new technologies. In Europe and U.S, this new trend of business has led to many lawsuits and legislative initiatives. One of the most controversy issues that has been constantly discuss is the Google Adwords Advertisement system. This become a legal issues due to Google Adwords allow advertisers to buy “sponsored links” in section of Google search result page, which already registered as trademark of another company. This result in Louis Vuiton suit Google due to advertising link point to fake Louis Vuiton product website. This article point out interesting point about online advertising and the legal issues that companies must research carefully before entering trend. This article can be use to enrich the understanding of online advertisement and the legal issues lies among it. Google is one of the biggest advertising companies and by using Google as a case studies example, which reflect the relevancy of this article. Also, the author of this article is a reputable professor who is a member of Intellectual Property at ETH Zurich and a Communications Viewpoints section board member that put the article to be a useful and appropriate source toward online advertising understanding.
Tags: Google, Louis Vuiton, Google Adwords, Ecommerce, Trademarks, Patent Law, Search Engine, Liability
Article Title: 10 Online Strategies for Your Next Product Launch Article Source: Mashable Article Author(s): Beverly Cornell Reviewed by: Lisa Luu
Abstract: This article presents 10 online strategies for a successful product launch by taking an integrated approach. 1) Traditional methods cannot be ignored because of the effective exposure both television and print media deliver. 2) Search Engine Optimization (SEO) refers to your product’s online presence, such as a website or blog that can be easily located via keywords, title tags, header text, etc. 3) Email marketing enables you to send specialized content about your product to existing customers as to build and reward your existing relationships with them. 4) Online advertising includes: opportunities to advertise on social networks and related blogs/websites and using tools like Google AdWords. 5) Social networks can be used to inform current customers via updating your social networking sites and communicating with them by providing valuable content. 6) Geolocation tools can be used when there are physical locations selling your product, hence, creating a direct connection between your online marketing platforms and physical stores. 7) Group buying sites, such as Groupon, Living Social etc. offer opportunities for introducing and providing incentives to an opt-in audience. 8) Blogger outreach is to research for various blogs and its audience and content, and to ask for a product review to be posted on their blog. 9) Social media influencers are to be considered in determining the most active social media users you are targeting towards. 10) Online retail stores should provide partnership opportunities, as for making your product/company more readily available and credible.
Tags: product launch, online strategies, search engine optimization, email marketing, online advertising, social networks, geolocation, group buying, blogger outreach, social media, online retail stores Article Title: 6 Common Email Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses Make Article Source: Mashable Article Author(s): Todd Wasserman Reviewed by: Lisa Luu
Abstract: As email marketing remains an inexpensive and effective way in establishing and maintaining customer relationships, there are often 6 common email marketing mistakes that small businesses tend to make. 1) Emailing without permission is an invasion of privacy, often referred to as spam. It is an unethical act if the receivers did not sign up for email newsletters. Thus, building up an organic list of email recipients, such as having an opt-in form is recommended. 2) Having ineffective or irrelevant subject and “from” lines. Using boring subject lines and unrecognizable senders often lower the chances your email messages get opened and read. 3) Blasting irrelevant content negatively affects your company’s reputation. 4) Not looking at the numbers means there are no metrics to analyze and compare how successful your company has become since utilizing this strategy. Also, ways to improve can be discovered, such as the best day and time to send email messages, the most eye-catching subject lines, etc. 5) Having no purpose means the lack of company goals in using email marketing, a purpose is required in starting this strategy in order to measure success of the overall strategy. Lastly, 6) providing no entry for dialogue limits the customers’ voicing of opinions. Good conversations will most likely engage a wider audience, hence, shared with other potential customers.
Tags: email marketing, small businesses, permission, privacy
Abstract: The following article provides an in-depth analyses on issues related to online advertising particularly with respect to a political campaign. The article particularly sheds light on the first democratic candidates (Howard Dean and John Kerry) to use online advertising as a tool to promote presidential elections in the year 2003-2004.
The author then shares his views regarding this delay in the adoption of the use of Internet that is sought as people/candidates having a hypothetical belief that the Internet does not reach the right people. Many surveys such as the “E-voters” survey proved this hypothetical belief as incorrect and revealed the effectiveness of online political ads.
The Article further addressed the questions regarding the, persuasion power of online advertising; that is concluded as being extremely persuasive due to its ability to transform persuasion into instant actions.
The various ways of targeting the desired viewers; That includes methods such as paid search, banner ads, rich media ads such as videos and animation, text ads that appear on news letters or on search engine and finally the E-mails and Newsletters.
The cost and pricing system & issues regarding the placement of content with respect to targeting the desired audience; The cost of online advertising is measured in a unit called “Cost per thousand” or CPM. This CPM is dependent on various factors that are mentioned in sheer detail in the article. The cost of an on online advertising is also dependent on the nature of political campaign and can range from $1 to $50. These online ads can appear on a number of places on the website and are targeting in essentially three ways namely, targeted by individual, targeted by content and targeted by behavior.
In the later half of the article, stress has been put on measuring online ad campaign’s success and a comparison has been made between the traditional medium and the online realm, which the author concludes as being an aid to the traditional medium. (320 words approx)
Tags: online advertisement, online political campaign, CPM, traditional media.
Article Title: Online tracking and the privacy violations of behavioral marketing Article Source: http://wistechnology.com/articles/5131/ Article Author(s): Debora Wilcox Reviewed by: Syed Saad Qaiser
Abstract: The following article provides an in-sight to the emergence of “Behavioral Targeting”, that has become marketers prime tool to target audience in recent times. The author explains behavioral targeting as a marketing tactic practiced by online marketers, which involve tracking user’s online activities in order to deliver advertising, targeted to that user. This is done by the help of “online cookies” that keeps a track on ones activity on the Internet does this.
The article further reveals that online marketers are shifting to more customized form of advertising and collaborations are being made between giants such as Charter Communications and NebuAd, in this regard. However, it is due to such an exposure that has raised, issues such as the privacy concern that cannot be overlooked. Therefore, the Federal Trade Commission (FCC) has proposed that the companies should inform users that their personal information is being collected for marketing purpose. Moreover, the FCC has proposed that the marketers should provide a reasonable security of data and should only retain it as long as it is necessary for marketing.
The later half of the article focuses on the option of “opting out.” By having this option, users can accustom behavioral targeting subject to their own will that can be exercised by clicking on the “opt out” link that would clarify the consumers that no personally identifiable information is used to deliver the targeted ads.
Through out the article, the author has maintained a neutral stance and has not provided a conclusion instead the issue has been ultimately redeemed as an on going debate.
(260 words approx)
Tags: Behavioral Targeting, Privacy violation, Online tracking, Federal Trade Commission,FCC
Article Title: Blogger-Centric Contextual Advertising Article Source: Expert Systems With Applications (2011), 38 (3), pg. 1777-1788 Article Author(s): Teng-Kai Fan and Chia-Hui Chang Reviewed by: Sue Wu
Abstract: Weblog is also known, as blog, has become one of the major Internet platforms for people to express their interests, opinions, news and information. There are more than 1.2 million blogs found on the Internet. There is significant increase in amount of viewers and bloggers over the past years. Thus, a blog has become an appealing platform for many advertisers. Many blogs contain inevitable advertisements and some these advertisements are in form of contextual advertising. Contextual advertising is ads that are based on the page content instead of the viewer’s geographical location and demographic features. The authors sampled 138, 907 ads and 200 blog pages from Google AdSense. It is evidenced that by having contextual advertisements on blogs help increased click through rate, especially those bloggers who write review on the advertised product or service. This is a relevant source because it explains a different technique for online advertising, which is the use of blogger-centric contextual advertising to target audiences. In addition, the authors strengthen the importance contextual advertising through using quantitative researches and experiments. The article also helps deepen one’s understanding of how a blog’s advertisements work and ways to build an interesting blog that will attract both viewers and advertisers.
Tags: Online advertising, Text mining, Machine learning, Marketing, Information retrieval, Language model
Article Title: Malvertisements Growing as Online Security Threat Article Source: Communications of the ACM (2010), 53 (12) Article Author(s): Jason Hong Reviewed by: Sue Wu
Abstract: This article describes how online advertising can be turned into viruses that will seriously harm one’s computer. Malvertisement is a new form of Internet danger found in online advertisement. These fake online advertisements are embedded with malware and scareware. One of the ways that criminals inject viruses to one’s computer is inserting flash files with exploits to an ad. Another way is the use of scare tactics to an ad. For instance, an ad may show on a well-recognized webpage and tell the viewer that his or her computer have been infected viruses. Once the user clicks on the false ad, viruses will automatically be transferred to one’s computer. Another sign of malvertisement is false antivirus ads that attract viewers through providing false virus scans. As a result, the reputation and trust of many antivirus companies are loss from consumers. Malvertisement can be placed everywhere on the web. Even well developed news website such as the New York Time was once affected by malvertisement found in their online advertisement displayed on the webpage. Malvertisement is becoming a threat to the operation of the Internet and online advertising since many businesses are converting from traditional advertisement to online advertisements. This source significant to online advertising because inform people some of the threats of online advertising. Although online advertising might reach a wide range on audiences but if someone attempted use a company for false advertise, the company could be in great risks.
Tags: Internet crime, computer viruses, online advertising
This article identifies several strategies that can be used to increase the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. First and foremost, the success of a campaign depends on catering to a niche target demographic rather than trying to appeal to the masses. This “Don’t try to be everything to everyone” mentality is what keeps a company in check before it spreads itself too thin. Reaching its prospective customers should be its first priority. Part of this is researching the target audience and advertising in their favourite channels, while maintaining diversity. Highlighting the product’s competitive edge is what then keeps this niche audience interested. A well-established and consistent brand image allows for brand awareness and recognition. The more times a viewer sees a particular ad, the greater the brand awareness of the company. A very useful tip proposed by this article is for companies to test their ads before they make them live. One way of doing this is by organizing a focus group and documenting whether the key messages and company image are conveyed properly. Not everyone will perceive the ad in the same way and it’s important to account for discrepancies. This may also be useful from an aesthetic point of view – after a graphic designer works on the ad for an extended length of time, he will benefit from a pair of fresh eyes that can provide some constructive criticism. Also, it’s important to note that advertising has to be looked at from a seasonal point of view – this will allow a company to adjust the budget to allow for more advertising during the highest season.
Brian McDaniel’s article focuses on comparing the process of running an offline vs. online advertising campaign. Traditional offline advertising includes the use of radio, television, billboards, newspapers, etc. The cost of these media are about $20 to $35 per day, or approximately $9900 a year. He explains that at any given time, about 95% of the audience is collecting information and only about 5% of the audience is ready to buy the product. With traditional advertising, you are advertising to the community at large and therefor have to appeal to the 95% who are only gathering information. For smaller companies with tight budgets, it makes more sense to advertise directly to the 5% who are on the verge of making a purchase. Online advertising on the other hand, will cost roughly $19 a day or $6900 a year for advertising and the creation of a professional website. The greatest difference McDaniel points out between offline and online advertising is that with cost per click you only pay for the amount of times viewers engage with your advertisement. In conclusion, the verdict is that online advertising has many advantages over offline advertising: its cheaper, faster, allows for changes, allows tracking and feedback, provides depth of information and targets niche audiences based on their needs.
Tags: offline advertising, online advertising, cost per click
Article Title: Podcast 103: Social Marketing to the Business Customer Article Source:Trafcom News Podcast Article Author(s): Donna Papacosta with Guest Eric Schwartzman
Reviewed by: Kleine Achiles
Abstract: Trafcom News, hosted by Donna Papacosta, are podcasts “for people who care about communicating with employees, customers, prospects and the world.” In this podcast, Donna Papacosta interviews Eric Schwartzman, the co-author (with Paul Gillin) of Social Media Marketing to the Business Customer: The B2B Social Media Guide. This is the first book ever published that focuses on Business to Business social media. Eric Schwartzman works as an independent online communications consultant to businesses, the US military, government agencies and non-profit organizations. In this book, Eric Schwartzman talks about how businesses can use various social media tools, not just Twitter and Facebook, to build their relationship with other businesses. There are more B2B transactions than B2C (business to customer) relationships. Despite high B2B transactions, businesses lack a cohesive strategy plan to strengthen and maintain relationships. In the book, Schwartzman and Gillin take a rational approach to social marketing like management buy-ins, socializing the organization, building strategies based on where the action is and monitor social media action going on about the business. Schwartzman also recommends that businesses blog because blogging is akin to the Swiss Army Knife. Blogging combines pictures, audio, text, and video. B2B relationships are important to create, strengthen and maintain because of buying decisions that are made. Schwartzman and Gillin include case studies in their book and it’s not all about technology either. A final point Schwartzman makes is that the purpose of B2B social marketing is to “humanize your business, experiment openly, and be tolerant to risks.”
Tags: Social media, Trafcom News, Social Marketing, Eric Schwartzman, PR, B2B, B2C
The article brings to light the recent PR mishap involving the "Kenneth Cole" brand on Twitter. On the first Thursday on February, @KennethCole with a following of 12,000 on Twitter sent out a tweet in regards to their brand new spring collection being recently launched and made available online. Perfectly fine as this has become quite the norm in this day of age for companies to rely on social media network sites to aid their advertising online, however literally just seconds after the tweet was sent out the painful backlash hit @KennethCole squarely in the face. The tweet that accompanied the announcement of their new line read "Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at (link of site) - KC". The tweet brought up recent political events in Gaza and people on Twitter were immediately in outrage and shock. How can @KennethCole use such an event that killed thousands, as the punchline for a joke to promote their spring line? In a matter of minutes, word spread about this mishap and the @KennethCole brand reputation was forever tarnished.
Brian Whalley makes a good point on damage control when it comes to situations like these. There was absolutely no way @KennethCole could retract their tweet in the midst of the public onslaught because as they say, once you put something on the Internet it's like a stain you can try to remove but fail to. Brian says Kenneth Cole could've done quite a bit to weather the storm like apologizing immediately, and using their Twitter to promote awareness by posting links to donor sites and charities. Acknowledging angry tweets directed at @KennethCole and coming off as sincere and apologetic would've helped as well. The Kenneth Cole incident is a perfect example of learning to be responsible when dealing with social media, as backlash can be headed your way in a millisecond if you're not careful and years of careful brand reputation building could all come at a colossal tumble at the hands of one careless 'tweet'.
The article explores the newly hyped Internet browser "RockMelt" released in November last year. RockMelt was in much abuzz because it was the first browser to combine a user's social media network (Facebook, IM), search engines, and news of the user's interests - in short, it was the first user customizable browser. When asked about how the innovative browser will make money, the co-founder stated "it's still to early to say how the browser will make money but that an ad network is not part of their plan." Their main goal is to improve user experience, and RockMelt developers believe that "you cant have a good user experience if somebody is taking your data and using it to sell ads" - taking an indirect shot at Google and their AdSense concept. As Internet privacy has become an increasing concern over the years with the rise of Google and Facebook, Rockmelt insists that while the browser combines these two giants together they will in no way jeopardize the privacy of the user. "The settings are encrypted before being tramsitted to Rockmelt, and the company doesn't store information on things like search and brewing history." While the concept itself sounds great, only time will tell if Rockmelt can live up to their promise but one thing is for certain… they have their work cut out for them competing with Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.
Tags: RockMelt, Online Advertising, Privacy, Surveillance, User History
Article Title: Complete Guide to Blog Advertising Article Source:http://www.instantshift.com/2010/06/10/complete-guide-to-blog-advertising/ Article Author: Cameron Chapman Reviewed by: Rita Fung
Traditional websites are no longer the only way to attract businesses and customers; blog advertising has become increasingly popular. According to Chapman, “blog advertising can be a great source of income for many bloggers and a great source of vistors for many businesses.” This article by Cameron Chapman acts as a guide for bloggers and advertisers with setting up and managing an appropriate blog advertising campaign. There are many types of blog ads such as pay-per-click, pay- per-impression, contextual ads, text link ads…etc so first step to success is to choose the right kind of ad for your blog, Second, ad placement is very important, the placement of the ad makes a big difference in how effective the ad is. How much an ad costs also depends on where the ad is placed, it could be above the header, below the header, within post…etc. Third, is to consider is an ad is even necessary for your blog and if so what types of ads are best suited for your blog design and how many ads is appropriate? Forth, is to “decide whether you want to sell ads directly to advertisers or join a blog network.” However affiliate programs is also a great way to make money from your blog. Fifth, according to Chapman, “it’s worth looking around for themes that seem to have considered optimal ad placement. Sixth, finding the appropriate blog to advertise your product or company on can be overwhelming but it is important. You want to find a blog that is updated regularly, have reasonable traffic levels and have engaged readers. Seventh, monitor how effective your ad placements are, “regularly reviewing your results and adjusting your efforts will lead to a more successful advertising campaign.”
Tags: guide, ad, blog advertisement, site, campaign, banner, ad placement, advertisers, network, sales
Article Title: 2011 Online Video Advertising Trends & Predictions – Part I – Branded, Interactive, and Mobile Article Source:http://www.reelseo.com/2011-video-advertising/ Article Author: Christopher Rick Reviewed by: Rita Fung
In the article, Christopher Rick discusses the topic of “what will be the big trend for video advertising in 2011?” with the biggest names in the online video advertising industry, such as Iggy Fanio from adBrite, Tod Sacerdoti from Brightroll, Andy Tu from Break Media and Chris Young from DBG. Iggy Fanio the President and CEO of adBrite said that a big trend in 2011 is the standardization of ad formats and technology because by standardization will accelerate growth and bring in a larger audience. Also, according to Fanio, “the standardization of formats will enable online video to scale and grow exponentially as well as provide scope for BT- a de facto standard for digital advertising campaigns with proven result) (Rick, 2010) Tod Sacerdoti, Ceo and founder of Brightroll said a big trend in 2011 is that mobile video advertising will be the most wanted new video ad format. The reason behind his statement is because mobile video ad is highly interactive, compatible with different programs and it’s targetable. According to Sacerdoti, “it’s an incredible branding environment.” (Rick, 2010) Andy Tu, VP marketing of Break Media said more users will turn to digital platforms as a primary source of entertainment. According to Tu, “ digital video will not be dfined as a web only phenomenon and we will start to see video scale across new platforms such as iPad, mobile devices, internet-enabled TVs, and 3D-enabled TVs.” Chris Young, Ceo of Digital Broadcasting Group said branded entertainment and video ad interactivity will be a big trend in 2011. According to Young, advertisers will try to target and engage customers in a unique and less intrusive way. Young believes that “interactivity will be crucial to the success of any online video campaign… 2011 is going to be the year of ‘smart reach’- reaching the right consumer at the right time with content that’s relevant to them.”
So to summarize the points made by the expertise in the online video advertising industry, branding, interactivity and mobile advertising will be the biggest trend in the up coming years.
Tags: branding, interactive, mobile video advertising, trend, Brightroll, Break Media, DBG, adBrite
Article Title: A Silver Lining on "YourCompanySucks.com" Sites Article Source:http://www.marketingtoday.com/emarketing/0105/silver_lining.htm
Brien, John. “A Silver Lining on ‘YourCompanySucks.com’ Sites.” Marketing Today: The Online Guide to Marketing in the Information Age. A publication of Peter DeLegge Consulting., n.d. Web. 29 March 2011. Article Author(s): John Brien Reviewed by: Sydney Pope
“A Silver Lining on ‘YourCompanySucks.com’ Sites” is an article written by a man with extensive marketing experience. The article outlines the pros and cons of finding a “YourCompanySucks.com” site on the Internet. These sites are started by disgruntled clients whose goal is to let all that will listen know about their terrible experience. At first, you as upper management of the company may be inclined to sue but Brien explains that this may not be the way to go. He outlines various strategies of dealing with the sucks site, as well as reasons that they may not be all negative.
A couple of ways to control or get rid of the site are to sue, although there may not be grounds to do so unless libel is explicit, and to buy the site, although again this may be a step in the wrong direction as other sites are easily produced.
The most useful part of the article is when Brien tells the reader to take a deep breath and think almost positively at the situation. Other clients or potential business partners do not give poorly designed “sucks” sites much attention, and well-designed sites can often be a learning experience for the company, free of charge! It pays to know what clients think and what problems they may be experiencing with the product or service your company offers. No need for focus groups with a well-designed site. Therefore, the article is extremely useful in both giving tips on what to do with a “sucks” site, as well as how to use the experience to the company’s advantage.
Article Title: Gentle Reminders: Retargeting can lead to increased conversions and turn abandoned site visits into sales Article Source:http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219344
Belicove, Mikal E. “Gentle Reminders:Retargeting can lead to increased conversions and turn abandoned site visits into sales.” Entrepreneur. Entrepreneur Magazine, April 2011. Web. 1 April 2011. Article Author(s): Mikal E. Belicove Reviewed by: Sydney Pope
“Gentle Reminders:Retargeting can lead to increased conversions and turn abandoned site visits into sales” is an article in Entrepreneur online magazine that challenges business executives to regain the sales of seemingly hopeless case online customers. It highlights strategies for redirection methods associated with other websites to aid the company to bring back the customer to complete the transaction.
Behaviour retargeting, behavioural remarketing or retargeting, exists when companies use online advertising to track and follow a potential customer through other sites in order to persuade them to buy from the company’s site. One way that the article proposes this is to show the customers deals that will be expiring soon. Another method is reassuring customers of your sites credibility.
Customers need reassurance. Due to the fact that online buying and selling is fairly new to the web, people may be skeptical to purchase products online. Most reasons include fear of fraud but, as the article outlines, others include the fact that customers may not want to pay shipping and handling fees and that they feel that they could find the same product for cheaper elsewhere. By using banner advertisements to reassure, companies can also redirect back to their website. Also, using cookies, the company can further target advertisements seen on associated sites on the web, to the customer, making them further inclined to buy. Basically, Belicove is asking business leaders not to write off the customers who abandon their shopping cart of merchandise online. There is always a better way to convince them to come back.
Article Title: How to: Launch Any Product Using Social Media Article Source: Mashable.com Article Author(s): Guy Kawasaki Reviewed by: Mehria Karimzadah
Kawasaki, Guy. "HOW TO: Launch Any Product Using Social Media."Mashable.
Mashable.com, 30 Mar. 2011. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. <mashable.com/2011/03/30/product-launch-social-media/>. The article discusses the first hand experiences of the author promoting their book over social media to, within a week’s time, become a New York Times best seller. The article highlights 12 key steps, in particular, promotional tactics including Facebook fan pages, emails, pay-per-click advertising, costs associated and subsequent results (where measureable). The steps are a brief overview of actions taken specific to the author’s experience. The article lacks analytic depth or a broader standpoint; however is a good starting point to inform and peak the interests of product managers to understand relevant modes of promotion or its advantages in tactics not all too well known. Guy Kawasaki has worn many executive hats, from start-up success to corporate evangelism. With a BA from Stanford and his MBA from UCLA, Kawasaki has grown from humble beginnings to writing 10 successful books includingEnchantment, Reality Check, The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Selling the Dream,andThe Macintosh Way. This particular article appeals to business professionals regardless of size of the firm or nature of business. The article is relevant to small businesses using the internet to expand their consumer base, or for existing firms seeking new opportunities to generate further sales. The focus is to educate the audience on effective product exposure and ecommerce on social media platforms. As students, this article is a beneficial read, furthering our expertise in the social media context of commerce.
Tags: social media, advice, experience, books, facebook, twitter, marketing, promotion
Article Title: How the Pros Measure Social Media Marketing success Article Source: Mashable.com Article Author(s):Todd Wasserman Reviewed by: Mehria Karimzadah
Wasserman, Todd. "How the Pros Measure Social Media Marketing Success."Mashable.
Mashable.com, 31 Mar. 2011. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. <mashable.com/2011/03/31/measure-social-media-roi/>. The article discusses the measurement of social media marketing tactics in perspective of how “professionals” approach the issue. Topics discussed in this article are from the viewpoints of three distinct individuals in a question and answer style format. The three experts include: Sarah Hofstetter, senior vice president of emerging media and brand strategy at 360i, David Rosenberg, director of emerging media at JWT, Dexter Bustarde, senior web analyst at Digitaria (Wasserman, 2011). All three provide input on their experiences, beliefs and ideas of the measuring of the effectiveness of online social media engagement. Questions range from what defines success on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, to discussions of who has gained success and how, example Charlie Sheen. The answers of the panel are thoughtful and provide good background and conceptualization. Issues such as speed, spread, and audience are discussed directly correlating to actions by businesses on these mediums. Basically allowing to predict an outcome from an action. Relevant tracking technologies are briefly assessed in portions of the article. Mashable.com is an online collaborative blog discussing the most recent trends, news, how to’s, do’s and dont’s of the business and technology industry. The author, Todd Wasserman, currently holding the position of editor of the business and marketing section of Mashable.com, has held many influential positions in various esteemed and technology forward magazines and newspapers. The contents of this article would greatly benefit businesses and social media managers in organizations experimenting with social media and its effectiveness for their firm.
Tags: social media, advice, experience, books, facebook, twitter, marketing, promotion
Article Title: Climb the Social Ranks
Article Source: Marketing
Article Author: Andrew Walmsley
Reviewed by: Sophia Leonard
Social networking sites create a new need for Search Engine Optimization. Google uses PageRank to sort search results, using algorithms based on the number of other pages that link to a particular page, the URL and page title, and the relevance of the material within the result's site. In contrast, Facebook's search result is based on the actions of a user's friends. Top results are based on how relevant the query is to a user's friends (whether the query appears a friend's name, friends' liked pages, mentions in wall posts, number of users, etc.). As with Google, the importance of keeping a company's page on the first set of results is imminent as users have been shown to be unlikely to continue to more results. However, Search Engine Optimization approaches are very different for companies' Facebook pages versus Google results. Because of the importance of friends' activities in the Facebook search engine algorithm, pages can easily fall victim to power laws. If a page is low on the search results, it is less likely to be viewed, less likely to be liked, and less likely to ever move ahead in the results. Facebook search results follow the Pareto principle, in which 20% of an organization is vital and 80% is unimportant.
Tags: SEO, Social Media, Facebook, PageRank, Pareto principle
Article Title: The premium content gap
Article Source: Marketing
Article Author: Andrew Walmsley
Reviewed by: Sophia Leonard
Product sales do not always reflect a good product, and are largely influenced by the presentation of a product, whether if it's the actual look or a type of promotion. The theory that better content generates better ad sales and thus profit is being challenged by the Internet. Online, profitability on good content is not as high and financial motivation to create new, quality works is at risk. Specific Media uses algorithms and content tagging to accurately match advertisements to viewers of content. Hosts of the ads are paid in cost per thousand, and advertisers are paying for cost per action. The information gathered by Specific Media gives value to the content on which companies will advertise, and creates a separation between the context of the content and the value wanted by the client. Specific Media wins when there is an additional premium to charge the advertisers as the publisher of the content does not get a cut of that. This model takes advantage of otherwise unused ad space which can be given value by tagging it with data and using the algorithms to couple the content with appropriate advertising. What is valuable is the organization of content by tags (and not the content itself) which allow for precise determinations of what markets may be suited for a particular host. A similar relationship exists in television: Google TV is capable of searching through tons of data and giving the user their desired content, however, traditional TV networks are hesitant to hand over their data and become searchable by Google TV.
Tags: Tagging, Metatags, Specific Media, Google TV, distress, behaviourally targeted marketing
Abstract: This article talks briefly about the importance of the online market, and the high demand for them especially when it comes to battling for consumers. Since the online network is so big, there is a high potential for companies advertise and grab attention of their customers or future customers. This design skill, includes logo building, web page design, branding and photography amongst others. These creations are highly important, since the potential of return is so high, yet the competition so large in the online world. As the author puts it, the process is takes up great deal of time and investment, as you are basically putting your brand in the online world. Compared to the classic ways of marketing and advertising, the use of online advertising has a great ROI. Besides the simple fact that the internet is open to all people 24/7, there is the ability for companies to home in on their target markets, and get better feedback at a great pace then traditional ways. However, that requires your pages to be constantly be refreshed with different articles etc. to capture not only your audience, but pushing your site to higher spots on search engines such as Google, yahoo (crawlers). Other methods this author points out is the use of forums as it is a consistent community that shares a common set of knowledge, such as gaming, gaming companies can put demos etc to allow their consumers to try their games. Finally is the use of online marketing program, you have to know proper marketing tactics an order to fulfil your goals, as mentioned theres a huge competition online, so if you were to operate a small business on a large network, there has to be proper market skills and tactics an order to grab attention of these markets.
Tags: forums, online advertising, marketing, online marketing program
Article name: Internet Marketing Firm, Morning Falls, Sees Online Ad Spending on the Rise
This article talks about escalation of online ads. According to one source: Jason Gamwell, statics show online ad spending were up 13.9% of record $12.8 Billion in 2010 [nternet marketing firm]. From this source, there is an assumption that this trend will continue due to popularity of social networks and less uses of other offline ads (i.e newspaer, magazine etc). Reason behind being the low cost budget of online ad, and higher ROI contrasting from conventional ad methods. One statistic showed that in 2010 it was the first year that US marketers spent more to advertise online than in newspaper, and first time that the online readership was higher then print readership. Another reason for the growth in online advertising the ease of use, research and purchase can be done with a click of a button. Online advertising is also used more frequently due to the flexibility (variety) of methods to advertise, such as pay per impression, pay per click, along with the ability to measure the ROI faster and more efficiently. "29 percent / 1 out of 3 businesses claims to plan on increasing social media spending this year. Finally is the ability to mix online medieas with other sources, such as tv radio making it much more diverse and targeting much more people.
Abstract: This web article talks about the future of the online advertising. This article gives the media buyer five online advertising areas that they should look to advertise in the future. The first one is online communities, the author talks about how the online communities is growing, such as a site like Facebook which connects to old school friends, or have groups of people that have similar interest. The second one is viral marketing, this is when the advertising and promotions is extended beyond the original target audience. This is encouraging the target audience to spread words about this advertisement, and to forward it to friends. The third one is personalized adverts, this is when advertisers with large budgets, look at ways to personalize their ads to their users. The fourth one is broadband expansion, this allows the online advertisers to be more creative with their advertisements, since bigger broadband will allow faster download speed. The fifth one is Mobile Data Services, since more and more people nowadays have 3g phones, as it becomes more affordable and popular, online advertisers should look to link with mobile service provider to provide their advertisement on cell phones.
In this article, the author talks about a number of ways in which you can promote your blog or website, The first one is to start with freebies, this is when a new website or a seasoned one gives out something for free, this will always attract a lot of visitors, and returning users. The author gives some ideas on what a website can give out for free, ideas such as ( Free report on your niche or a certain topic, free Ebook, free plugin or app, free sample products.) The second way that the author suggests is to use social connection and brand marketing. This is when the website promote their brands with the same images and same approach so visitors will remember the brands. The website owner need to utilize the power of the social media, to keep their website well known throughout the internet. The author suggested the following ideas to improve brand marketing and social connection ( Build a fan page for your website or brand on Facebook, create a twitter account, start a group on Facebook, create social profiles,) The third way that the author suggest to use to promote your website is to "Be creative and use everything you can". The author suggested ideas such as create a banner for your website, where people can copy, paste HTML code, and build links. The author also suggested using ideas such as: include testimonials on your website, Adwords, guest blogging, ask visitors for questions and feedback on what they would like on the website, create a useful video.
Article Title: The State of Online Video Advertising 2011 Article Source: Streaming Media Magazine February/March Issue Streamingmedia.com Article Author(s): Tony Klejna Reviewed by: Sandy Wong
Abstract: Klejna speaks to a number of online advertising executives to assess the state of online video advertising in 2011. As the online video advertising market grows, advertisers will continue to pour money into this medium to target consumers by demographic. Online video advertising is expected to continue to grow as money from television ad budgets move online. Jason Krebs of Tremor Media gives us an introduction to online video advertising; businesses are focused on personalizing advertising content relevant to viewers via ad networks. The different types of online video advertising are described. Linear and non-linear advertising help target and measure viewings and increase engagement for better returns on investments by reaching the same number of viewers as television but making the ads more effective by personalizing the ad content to the viewers. The nature of the advertising networks and how they produce the content to distribute across different publishers is described. Ease of use is the most important current and future trend for online advertising. Publishers have to be able to easily integrate ads into their content. Klejna speaks with the CEO of LongTail Video and Briainient to understand how video ad networks bring together publishers and advertisers and allow publishers to add relevant ads to their sites.
Tags: (categorize) Advertising industry, Online Video Advertising, Video streaming, personalization.
--- Article Title: Online Video E-Portfolios are Coming into Their Own Article Source: Streaming Media magazine April/May 2011 issue StreamingMedia.com Article Author(s): Paul Riismandel Reviewed by: Sandy Wong
Abstract: Online e-portfolios and personal branding online is becoming the norm for schools and employers. Admissions departments and employers are increasingly requiring online submissions rather than traditional paper bound portfolios. Applicants now have to make portfolio items web accessible because many institutions do not accept large files. Interactive media is becoming an important component in school curricula and schools have been responding by requiring students to create e-portfolios to document and demonstrate their abilities. The history of where e-portfolios gained traction is described. Students now need to learn how to control public perception of their identities by generating different portfolios for different audiences. Schools need to adapt their systems to accommodate e-portfolios and integrated videos.
Tags: Personal Branding, e-portfolios, online advertising, online identity, online presence.
Article Source: SearchRank Blog. "Professional Search Engine Marketing Firm" Article Author: David Wallace Reviewed by: Matthew Stollmeyer
Abstract: There is a fine line between promotion and spamming. You or your company becoming labelled as a spammer isn't exactly going to boost clientele. Informative and annoying eventually becomes ignored and annoying. Mr. Wallace emphasizes the importance of recognizing the community aspect of social networking, stressing to "get involved" and being active.
He blasts several lowly techniques people use to promote themselves without adding to the community, such as friending people regardless of commonalities. He goes on to stress the importance of interacting with and promoting other people's content and becoming a noticeable positive influx into the social networking community. He says that it becomes easier to 'slip in' your personal content, as you are now respected and viewed positively within the community.
Tags: Personal promotion, online presence, e-marketing, effective social networking
This article eloquently discusses several online no-nos we have touched upon in class and ads a number of other significant mistakes many people overlook. According to the article, the biggest mistake is "wasting money" whereby businesses are not using revelant statistical analytics to digest data regarding hits and purchases. Paying for pop ups and spamming are also cited as annoying a user, transforming any potential of a transaction into pure frustration. Pop ups and spam are famously hated online, and employing those strategies are seriously detrimental to a business. As a business, do not overpay copyrighters, many younger copywriters are less expensive than veterans, and often hungry to build a portfolio. Do not attempt to bog your advertisements with heavy flash and complicated animations especially if at the cost of substance. Providing links for interested browsers to view more and using different themes is often not done, impeding both follow up and interest. The article ends with 'Poor Placement', stressing the importance of hosting your ad in relevant networks likely to be viewed by people with tendencies most likely to view your product in a positive and wishful light, increasing the chances of purchase.
Suggested format:
Article Title:
Article Source: (Title and reference information)
Article Author(s):
Reviewed by: (your name)
Abstract: (250 words or so, summarizing main points)
Tags: (categorize)
Article Title: New Apple App Showcases iAds
Article Source: __PC Magazine__
Article Author: Chloe Albanesius
Reviewed by: Jamie Robinson
Abstract:
Apple has created a significantly higher standard for online mobile advertising. This article outlines their ad network, iAds, and the release of a new app "iAds Gallery".
Available only in the US App Store, one requires a US credit card or gift card in USD. The app itself is a semiotic symbol of how important online advertising is today.
The article outlines the various features of the app, such as the ability to mark favourites. Interestingly, the article notes that this is much like a portfolio of the iAds department's work.
Article Title: Settlement in George Hotz Case
Article Source: Playstation US Blog
Article Author: SCEA
Reviewed By: Jamie Robinson
Abstract:
George Hotz released the PS3 Jailbreak publicly on Jan 26. It finally allowed end users to make changes to their PS3's pre-installed OS, and run pirated games.
However, very shortly Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) attempted to silence Hotz with a lawsuit claiming infringement.
This blog post today announces that Hotz has decided to give in to SCEA's demands and stop distributing the hack.
It is a significant blow to the jailbreak community, and will set precedent to others thinking of creating and distributing hacks for consoles.
Interestingly, only a few years ago the DMCA was amended to allowjailbreaking of mobile telephones only. Unfortunately, the freedom has not yet penetrated other consumer electronics that are purchased and owned "just the same".
Article Title: To Aim Ads, Web Is Keeping Closer Eye on You
Article Source: Ney York Times, 2008
Article URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/technology/10privacy.html
Article Author: LOUISE STORY
Reviewed By: Mustafa Munawar
Abstract: In 1993 there was a comic with a dog saying to another dog, "on the Internet, no one knows you're a dog". This article looks at why this is not true anymore. This article examines how sits are now tracking usage and search patterns of users, and in some cases, without their awareness. It also points out that most consumers are actually implicitly fine with this. Although collecting usage patterns for users may seem like privacy invasion, it can actually be advantagous to both advertisers and consumer: it's a win-win. Consumers get targeted, personalized ads that they care about, and advertisers get a better click-through rate. Finally, this article demonstrates how traditional media, like newspapers and TV, is being sidelined and overtaken by new media because of one primary factor: the capability of advertising to a highly-targeted and highly-specific audience.
Tags: Web, privacy, anonymous, identity, search patterns
Article Title: How to clean up your online reputation
Article Source: PCWorld, 2011
Article URL: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/373007/how_clean_up_your_online_reputation/
Article Author: Sarah Jacobsson Purewal
Reviewed By: Mustafa Munawar
Abstract: This article looks at the relatively new field of Online Reputation Management (ORM). This field is still rather new, so the literature and tools are still developing. This article provides a nice 'primer' as to what Online Reputation Management is, and it provides a market survey of the key tools. The article explains that ORM is a way of managing an individual's or a corporation's image online. It is inevitable that some negative content against a corporation will be published in some form online. This includes negative reviews, comments on social networks, blog posts or articles, among other things. It then goes on to explain that online reputation is extremely crucial for a company to maintain, because it is directly related to the bottom-line. This article argues that ORM can be done without hiring a professional firm. A company simply has to do a Google Search (and possible a Google Blog search) using the name of the company and specific negative terms. Finally, the article outlines and reviews three online firms that provide ORM services: ReputationDefender, RemoveYourName, and Integrity Defenders. The article closes with saying that ORM is not something that is done once and brushed to the side. Rather, it is a c
Tags: ORM, reputation, ReputationDefender, clean, negative review,
Article Title: The Difference between Web Reporting and Web Analysis
Article Source: Kaushik.net
Article Author(s): Avinash Kaushik (THE author on Web analytics)
Reviewed by: Timur Khamitov
Abstract: The article aims to differentiate between simply reporting on web activity and providing meaningful analysis and insight and how to differentiate between the two. The main thesis for differentiating the two is:
“If you see a data puke then you know you are looking at the result of web reporting, even if it is called a dashboard.
If you see words in English outlining actions that need to be taken, and below the fold you see relevant supporting data, then you are looking at the result of web data analysis.”
To provide meaningful insight and analysis, the analyst must have a good understanding of business priorities, custom reports, advanced segments and provide some meaningful, actionable conclusion.
Some of the things that indicate analysis vs. reporting:
1. Actionable suggestions for business to take.
2. Economic value.
3. Context is queen.
The paper concludes that web reporting is easy and rarely useful. Analysis is hard and almost always useful.
Tags: web analytics avinash kaushik
Article Title: How the figher shot 35 days worth of fight scenes in only three days
Article Source: Signal vs Noise
Article Author(s): Jason Fried, 37signals.com
Reviewed by: Timur Khamitov
The article analyses the filming techniques used in the film “The Fighter” and compares the approach used in filming it to the way progressives business think.
The fighter was filmed in a total of 33 days, with experts predicting that It would take 35 days to just film the fight scenes which actually took 4 days. The reason being, the approach to filming the movie was drastically different; it was much more raw, unrehearsed and authentic. Rather than choreographing every move and making sure it was perfect; Mark Wahlberg went for the raw, authentic fight scene and the result was enormous success and Oscars.
This is all transcribes to the key questions businesses should be asking themselves: what problem are you solving? Lean, raw and to the point is a strength these days. Challenge the norm.
Article Title: It’s time for advertising and social media to work together
Article Source: Creativity Unbound
Article Author(s): Edward Boches
Reviewed by: Jamika Kerr
Abstract:
In this article, Edward Boches, who is… has developed an approach to social media advertising by combing traditional advertising strategies and conversation. He presents his findings by providing the reader with 5 important factors to keep in mind when creating a advertising strategy on Facebook. His first tip states that no one on Facebook actually wants to fan a brand (with some exceptions such as Coke) but if they see a brand that they know and trust they are inclined to become a fan. The main point here is that it’s not enough to just create a fan page; you have to advertise it as well. This corresponds with his second tip when he states that 90% of fans never actually visit the page unless they have a reason to, such as a contest or offer. His third point states that as an advertiser, you shouldn’t artificially narrow your audience. When you narrow your audience on Facebook you’re assuming that people have entered this information on their profile when this is not necessarily the case. Lastly, Boches states that conversation strategy is key, you need a plan for what to do with all the fans that you generate. Boches closes with a message taken from Kevin Colleran, Facebook’s 6th employee and business development leader: targeting + creative + conversation strategy = the most effective social media marketing.
Tags: Facebook, Advertising, Social Media, Market Targeting, Conversation Strategies
Article Title: Online Advertising: Worth the Investment
Article Source: Canadian Marketing Association Blog, http://www.canadianmarketingblog.com/
Article Author(s): Albert Motz
Reviewed by: Mackenzie Ellis
Abstract:
This article addresses the use of online advertising within the realm of B2B marketing. The constant bombardment of banner ads, box ads, and pop ups have diluted the online sphere to the point where advertising no longer is expected to directly cause buyers to purchase services or products. In the article Motz proposes ways marketers should utilize online advertising in order to maximize results. His five suggestions include: target buying cycle, leveraging social advertising, generate awareness, integrate into inbound efforts, and lastly measuring results.
Tags: B2B, online advertising, CMA, Canadian Marketing Association
Article Title: eBranding Becomes Mandatory for Surviving the Digital Age
Article Sources: Brand Channel
Article Author: Dan Schawbel
Reviewed by: Mary Dytyniak
Abstract:
We had two great speakers come into our class to talk to us about personal branding. There’s only so much one can say on the same topic. I will however, credit Dan Schawbel with succinctly and convincingly informing his readers about the necessity of adopting a personal brand in the Internet Age. Everyone is doing it. And more importantly, everyone can. Students, companies, entrepreneurs - we all have something to offer and something to advertise. There’s nothing new about that. Selling a product, an idea or a specialized skill is how our economy runs and how we put food on the table.
The important shift that has occurred in recent years is how we make that happen. According to Schawbel, that happens by creating an e-brand. Your audience, whether it’s your dream company, a customer you want to nab or someone you want to work with, they don’t just want to know what you offer, they want to know who you are. A flat resume with a bullet list of skills and a series of past job experiences is simply not enough. What makes you stand out? Why are you unique?
How you react to this new demand is up to you. The way I see it, employers these days actually give a shit about who you are, what your interests are and what kind of personality you have. Let your e-brand shape the way you see yourself, let it be a way to highlight not just your skills, but your positive personality traits and unique quirks. Different is good, different is great. Embrace it. Flaunt it. Get off your ass and create an e-brand!
How? Follow Schawbel’s 4-part process: Discover, Create, Communicate and Maintain. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Discover what you want your brand to offer, make it, let others know about it and keep it current.
Article Title: Marketing on the Internet- Who can benefit from an online marketing approach
Article Source: Decision Support Systems 27, Elsevier, http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~khshang/Working%20Papers/Marketing_on_the_Internet.pdf
Article Author(s): Melody Y. Kiang, T.S. Ragh, Kevin Huei-Min Shang
Reviewed by: Elizabeth Carroll
Abstract:
This article outlines the internet as a virtual storefront for all companies. however, since online marketing has blown up over the years, companies use it as a personal branding tool and advertisement. This paper researches how the internet boosts companies exposure and success. This process is evaluated through the study of traditional marketing practices, the types of products and sales are available online and why there is not as much available online anymore. There is a close study about the advantages and disadvantages about online marketing as well as an interesting charts outlining Channel choice functions and Classifications of products.
I find this article is very informative regarding online marketing as a tool for businesses. I believe that it is informative for businesses that are interested in starting to advertise online. This article outlines the basics of how online marketing can help and also the requirements that work. For example, depending on the companies missions statement and field, it is important to understand whether your audience will need the internet to access it. If the business’s audience will be seniors or a family owned mechanic shop, online marketing may not help the business excel although the exposure is present. I find this article targets the most important factor about online marketing, expanding horizons and boundaries with clients. The internet opens a new door to advertising and the companies reach to people all around the world. Regardless if the people use the company or not, the audience is aware of it's existence through online marketing.
Tags: Online marketing, benefits, advantages, suitable marketing, tradiational marketing, e-marketing
Article Title: How to Target the Right Social Media Sites
Article Sources: Re-posted by Darren Rowse on Pro Blogger
Article Author: Steven Snell (How's that for natural alliteration?)
Reviewed by: Mary Dytyniak
Abstract:
This was a comprehensive, detailed article that answers just about all the questions I can think of in regards to navigating through the often messy and complicated world of social media websites.
I won’t go through all of the topics Snell addressed in the article, but the main thing to take away from his overview of social media is that proper usage is the key to success online.
One thing to keep in mind is to target niche websites with less users in order to more easily and quickly gain attention. This grants you the ability to re-direct traffic and popularity to a larger social media website such as Digg or StumbleUpon.
Another thing to note is that one cannot possibly maintain a presence on 5000 websites at once. First off, no one has the time or energy. And secondly, it just looks bad. It’s like trying to be friends with everyone in five different conferences in the same building. Your interests will look scattered and your value will decrease. Invest in a few sites and concentrate your interests and online networking to the audience that cares the most and will reciprocate by following you.
Lastly, be aware of how each site operates. Don’t bumble onto the web space spamming up the place with content that you think is glorious and will garner loads of attention. Take a moment to step back and observe the social conduct of the site, what content is popular and how users share it. Would you show up to a party full of strangers and start yapping about how much you hate Michael Ignatieff? I’d certainly feel like an idiot if I found out I had walked into a room full of liberals.
Those are the key points I took away from the article. But that’s just me. The article is well organized, with each area of interest being covered under a neat subheading. Scroll through and read up on areas of social media usage you may not have even thought of. Traffic control, popularity, link sharing, widget use, audience consideration – this article covers just about everything.
Article Title: Print Advertising Vs Online Advertising
Article Source: www.ezinearticles.com
Article Author(s): Samanth Prinsloo
Reviewed by: Kwang-Yun Cho
Abstract: Significant and rapid growth in number of Internet users motivated the escalation of the online advertisements. Countless number of companies invested in Internet advertising and the number keeps growing. The purpose of this journal was to gain insights of the effectiveness of online advertising. In the view of growth in the online advertisements, many companies are now experiencing dilemma of shifting from the traditional media to online. Researches show that large corporations are shifting from tradition advertising to online advertising. Online advertising is proven to increase sales and cost effective, simply generating more profit. However, print media advertisements are shown to be more effective in some cases. It is necessary for every company to thoroughly conduct and budget their marketing expense depending on the type of the business.
Tags: traditional media, Online Advertising, Cost effective marketing
Article Title: Increase Your Website Traffic With Online Advertising
Article Source: www.sooperarticles.com
Article Author(s): Justin Mark
Reviewed by: Kwang-Yun Cho
Abstract: Online marketing is quickly becoming the most demanded area for many types of business. This article demonstrates methods to generate more traffic for businesses. Online advertisements tend to gain more publicity than any other types of advertising. At this moment, the most important medium of online advertising is the Website. There are PPC programs created just to generate more traffic for the websites. Online advertising allows the business to get creative with their marketing campaigns. It is more cost effective to send out emails to clients rather than creating more Websites. Online advertising methods such as email marketing have proven to be relatively cheap, takes less time and more cost effective. Email marketing service includes automatic bounce email handling, unsubscribe management and so much more.
Tags: Email Marketing, Email Marketing services, Online Marketing
Article Title: Top Companies Still Bashful over Social Media Presence
Article Source: Marketing Pilgrim
Article Author(s): Frank Reed
Reviewed by: Randheer Edachery
Abstract:
This article deals primarily with how the top 50 companies, or the “Fortune 50”, have reacted in accordance with the mass social media revolution. It displays, facts, numbers and statistics proving that even though social media is recognized worldwide as a mass marketing machine, several companies remain which have yet to realize its true marketing potential. “Only 44% of the Fortune 50 have any social media icons on their home pages, and 60% hide their Twitter streams.” This article clearly indicates and emphasizes the ignorance exercised by these companies with regards to massive, untapped marketing potential. It stresses how big companies are sometimes slower to catch on to trends that smaller companies take for granted. This is attributed to the fact that given their magnitude and reach, big companies don’t feel the need to further invest in enhancing their brand awareness and recognition.
The article also qualifies the ignorance on behalf of these companies, and attributes it mainly to the fear of transparency held by such big companies. In the event of a colossal mix-up, which occurs more often than not these days, big companies are afraid that their potential social reach might work negatively against them. “If they decide to become more transparent through social media they are exposed to the results of some of their less than ethical activities.” And so, in being afraid of a flood of negative publicity through social media channels, such companies effectively ignore the enormous potential to expand their target market and increase their revenue.
Tags: Social media, Transparency, Fortune 50
Article Title: Devaluation of “Friends”
Article Source: SteveRubel.com
Article Author(s): Steve Rubel
Reviewed by: Randheer Edachery
Abstract:
This blog post, by public relations mogul Steve Rubel, we dive into the social and entrepreneurial repercussions of the social web. The blog points out that due to one’s tendency to accept and invite strangers as “friends” on Facebook, society has lost its ability to trust in people like themselves. Survey studies have showed that people don’t know at least 20 percent of their friends of facebook, thus devaluing the ideologies behind friendship. These results are the aftermath of the phenomenon now known as “over-friending”.
Despite the decrease in trust between people in similar social standings, there has been an increase in trust with regards to authority and credentialed spokespeople. This can be attributed to the fact that we now provide for a public that is informed and knowledgeable like never before, and thus salespeople have to genuinely prove and establish their facts in order to gain trust. “This hits home the need to identify those with expertise inside a company who can engage across different channels, many of which today are digital - or will be soon.”
Finally, statistics from this blog prove that consumers need to be constantly informed and reminded of aspects in order to induce and persuade profitable action. In developed countries, this number is even higher – thus requiring companies to diversify across several different spheres of social media in order to better service the informed public.
Tags: Facebook, Unfriending, Over-friending, Devaluation
Article Title: Blogging Is Dead
Article Source: The Social Media Marketing Blog
Article Author(s): Scott Monty
Reviewed by: Margarita Efstathiou
Abstract:
Several specialists have declared blogging to be dead since 2007. However, in 2011 blogging has yet to seize existing. Once again experts try to analyze and give a prognosis on the turn social media will take in the following years. Will micro-blogging fully take over long-form content blogs in order to address a more attention seeking audience or are there still seek to find articles with deeper meaning.
The author of the article discuses study results that indicate the differences between generations and how online content is consumed throughout the years. It is arguable that as we age we tend to prefer quality over quantity works and as a result we seem to spend more time on long-form content blogging rather that ‘twitting.’
In addition, the author urges the readers to be prepared for both scenarios discussed. In the long run both micro-blogging and long-form techniques can be incorporated and used in advantage of successfully conveying their message to the audience. These techniques might range from situation to situation. Creating smart headlines that signify the blog’s views in order to attract the more ‘attention-seeking’ readers but also linking and embedding pieces of quality and in-depth content that supports the blog’s views in more detail for the rest, are methods suggested in the article.
However, in the end the hardest part is for the authors and creators of such blogs, and their choice of target audience as well as their choice of approach to the subject. Blog creators should therefore be prepared to face changing tastes and views on the subject while at the same time they will have to address their audience’s different preferences.
Tags: blogging, trends
Article Title: How to take advantage of Twitter and Facebook to add to your company’s bottom line
Article Source: BusinessReview.com
Article Author(s): Nadia Ibanez and Bill Byrne
Reviewed by: Margarita Efstathiou
Abstract:
Today’s companies try to keep up with the rest of the worlds trends. It is therefore the case that social networking integration into businesses is an upcoming trend. The author of the article supports ways that Facebook and Twitter can be used by companies to promote their products and at the same time not lose the ‘personal touch’
According to Bill Byrne, co-founder of a brand communication solutions agency, major companies, such as Intel and LG Electronics have successfully worked with social media advertising and branding campaigns.
The article touches upon issues that might be raised when self-promoting your business through free means of communication. As a result, “the public voice in social media should be in line with what the consumer expects and wants.” Due to the fact that the human experience is of utmost importance, social media techniques suggest a personal touch on the company’s brand.
In addition, ‘Twitting’ and ‘Facebooking’ are trends suggested as a means of communicating with the consumer. Nevertheless, overuse and poor timing of updates in social media has resulted in considering some brands as spam. When self-promoting your business, consider the target audience and their wants and needs before you write the next update.
Finally, three common scenarios are offered in order to be prepared for the outcome of social networking in businesses. Businesses need to consider and plan their actions accordingly. Overnight successes are hard to come by, however in that case businesses should be prepared to scale for that growth. And lastly, it recommends a realistic plan of action for the business taking into account all previous problems but also the financials.
Tags: Bill Byrne, brand communication, email marketing, Facebook, Intel, LG Electronics, Social Media, twitter
Article Title: Pay-per-click advertising puts small businesses on the big map
Article Source: Financial Post
Article Author: Denise Deveau
Reviewed by: Gursimran Ghai
Abstract:
According to the president of the company Perma Brand Corp. the best way to advertise legitimacy and awareness is through PPC advertising. It is proven that for a small business, it is very possible to set up and generate a return. A combination of Google AdWords and Facebook advertising does a great job working together to advertise and promote a business. The Google part of this advertising is said to give awareness for the advertisement, but with a combination of Facebook advertisements, it gives more legitimacy especially since Facebook allows specific demographic advertising. He has stated that an advertising budget between $500 and $600 is a good budget for online marketing for his new product. Overall, this article gives a good understanding to pay-per-click advertising that helps in many scenarios especially for products that are still in the starting phase. PPC advertising is very flexible in terms of selecting keywords; however it is highly cautioned that this method of advertising is utilized correctly because without proper research, companies can waste a lot of time, money and effort. This article gives a good rundown on important elements of online PPC advertising with its features and tips to make it work for any given company.
Tags: PPC Advertising, pay-per-click Advertising, Google AdWords, Facebook Advertising, Small Business Advertising, Marketing Strategies, online advertising tips, SEO, Flexible Advertising, Social Media Marketing
Article Title: Online Ad Spending Exceeds Print, Hitting $25.8 Billion
Article Source: Forbes Blog
Article Author: Agustino Fontevecchia
Reviewed by: Gursimran Ghai
Abstract:
This article basically outlines the financial facts of the way online advertising is dominating the print advertising that are available even with this recession. A market research firm eMarketer identified that there is a substantial increase in advertising online and that they have officially exceeded advertising in print media. As print marketing is seen to be on the decline, online advertising is growing by 3% in just 2010 and this is seen to be the tipping point. Companies like Yahoo and Google have grown impeccably where Yahoo doubled its earnings and Google profiting $2.2 billion mostly generated from its advertising. It is important to realize that not all media companies are able to adapt to online advertising and this article illustrates clearly that some companies failed at it. Online advertising is becoming increasingly popular not only because of its exposure but mostly because of its advantage over print advertising where advertisers can follow the demographic and results that can be derived from the advertisements.
Tags: Online advertising, Print advertising Vs. Online advertising, print media advertising, New York Times, Google, Yahoo, online advertising revenues, media
Article Title: Why Choose Online Marketing
Article Source: Sooper Articles
Article Author: Jim Anderson
Reviewed by: Gary Li
Abstract: New media marketing has become the most successful method of promoting an enterprise within recent years. As marketing is a primary factor for a long and successful business, the Internet facilitates this process in a way that will ensure maximum exposure to what is being sold. Traditional marketing is becoming more expensive and slower to produce results. It also requires much more time and money. Online marketing is superior to traditional ways of marketing in almost every aspect, and here are the top 10 reasons online marketing out stands traditional marketing. Time, country restrictions, marketing effects, sales process, hours of operation, cost of media, limited advertising life span, cost per customer, customer support, and ongoing marketing information. Online marketing is all about saving you money, time, and effort; yet brings you the required results you seek and most of the time exceeds your expectations.
Tags: online, marketing, success, results, new media, top 10
Article Title: Internet Marketing - Effects on Industries
Article Source: Ezine Articles
Article Author: Matt Rhodes
Reviewed by: Gary Li
Abstract: The Internet has brought media to a global audience, and in return, the interactive design of the Internet marketing provides instant responses and elicits responses creates a very unique quality of medium. The appeal of Internet marketing emphasizes a specific behavior or interest, rather than out to a broadly defined demographic. For example, since there many banks that offer their customers the ability to perform many banking tasks over the Internet, it is more convenient and faster than had their customer visited a bank branch.
Aside from the fact that Internet marketing has had a profound affect on the technology industry, it has hugely impacted the advertising industry. Consider the last Presidential election and how Internet marketing strategies had a growing impact on the electoral process. The Presidential candidates of 2008 utilized Internet marketing strategies to reach their constituents. It was estimated that at the time of the primaries, the candidates added on an average of 500 social network supporters per day to assist with getting their message out to the American public. Effective Internet marketing may have won the Presidential campaign in 2008 aside from raising a tremendous amount of money to fund the Democratic campaign for the presidency.
Tags: effective, marketing, industries, media uses, advertising, campaign, online
Article Title - Mobile Marketing starts simple
Article Source - __http://www.dmnews.com/mobile-marketing-starts-simple/article/197257/__
Article Author - Ken Fenyo
Reviewed By - Sachin Mathur
Abstract:
This is an article that introduces mobile marketing to its readers and gets them aware on how mobile marketing works and how advantageous it is for our future. The article examines simple ways to enforce mobile marketing. Mobile Marketing could be explained in one of two ways, Firstly, it could mean marketing with or about a mobile device. Secondly it could also mean marketing in a moving fashion.
In this article the author, talks about how simple mobile marketing could be. We do not need to create fancy apps to promote a company, mobile marketing could simply be done throughout text messaging also. More than a trillion texts are sent in year and text messaging is becoming a growing trend in our everyday consumer life.
Despite Mobile promotions being similar to promotions on other channels, there are a lot of differences also that they share with other channels. The similarities that they share are: the promotion needs to be relevant, have a catchy slogan to engage consumers etc. The differences include: Mobile offers a range of new capabilities that include barcode scanning and location based services, which allows marketers to reach consumers at the moment of choice.
Tags - Mobile, Marketing, Starts, Simple
Article Title: Will Ads in Real Time Be Facebook's Holly Grail? Pitch can be matched to mood via profile updtaes
Article Source: http://adage.com/article/digital/ads-real-time-facebook-s-holy-grail/149603/
Article Author(s): Irina Slutsky
Reviewed by: Danielle Surliuga
Abstract:
Everyone knows about Facebook�s tailoring ads according to a users profile and browsing habits. However, according to this article, Facebook is testing a new, even more personal and relevant form of advertising, based on user�s status updates and wall posts. For example, if someone posts �Um, I want pizza� in their status, Facebook will automatically bring up a pizza hut ad.
This article is interesting because once more it brings attention to the new age of marketing we are entering, where tailoring is key to success. As we learned in CCT 356, The more relevant the content of your ads are to consumers, the more likely you are to get them to buy your product (and less time and money you will spend targeting the wrong consumers).
However, an interesting remark is made in the end of the article by USC professor Hank Wasiak. Basically, what he means to say is that even though in theory, this highly personalized strategy should guarantee sales, it might not be well-received by consumers. Social-media users might be offended and boycott these ads if they feel their privacy id being violated.
Nonetheless, personalized and finely targeted ads, are definitely a trend to stay on the lookout for.
Tags: social media, personalization, targeting, niche market, advertising, profile, facebook
Article Title: Organized Chaos: Viral Marketing, Meet Social Media
Article Source: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/10/organized-chaos-2/
Article Author(s): Curtis Silver
Reviewed by: Gena Flores
Abstract:
It is difficult to have a successful viral marketing campaign that force marketers have to give something away for free and gives people a reason to recruit others to spread it.
YouTube introduced viral marketing to social media, proven with the prime example of BMW�s The Hire which is a short series of YouTube videos that turned 10 million views into 2 million BMW registrations. Other social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Digg, and Flickr followed suit to this online advertising method. This wave of online communication platforms caused companies to adapt to this current social media trend and integrate it with traditional marketing elements.
Like a virus, the influence of an individual becomes more powerful online when it is transmitted through social media that is shared amongst a crowd mentality that makes viral marketing successful. The content being widespread is dependent on social media as a tool to introduce the message and it is dependent on the concept of sharing so that users reinforce the message with others. These views become brand awareness and then hopefully converted into sales.
For a campaign to become viral it must have outstanding content and the right demographic to spread it. Analytics must also identify the proper social networking sites for the content�s traffic to gain relevant attention.
As this trend of online promotion grows, bloggers are now also using this viral marketing technique by creating video and text posts with sage advice to gain readership and build online credibility and presence
Tags: online, advertising, marketing, viral, social media, internet, youtube, bmw
Article Title: Growth in Search Ads Problematic for News Sites
Article Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2361369,00.asp
Article Author(s): Mark Hachman
Reviewed by: Gena Flores
Abstract:
The growth in search advertising causes a decline in display advertising for news websites. Ads generated via search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, or Bing has increased whereas display ads on news have decreased in benefits. This means that online advertising is moving directly towards search engines rather than websites that generate less than accurate contextual advertising. Search engines make the highest revenue for advertising, followed by websites, television, and lastly newspaper. Personal advertising on news sites have also decline due to free online classified services such as Craigslist or Kijiji.
Search advertising does not only pertain to search engines. Social networking sites such as Facebook also provide advertisers and markets with detailed demographic data that allow creation of targeted customized ads. These personal information are high important as they can be mined to sell ads at a much higher rate, especially for local advertising. Also, the increased use of cell phones and smart phones give way for textual information to be used for mobile ads via customized text messages and emails that will not eat up memory for conservative data plans.
Tags: online, search, advertising, search engine
Article Title: Social Media Advertising on Twitter
Article Source: http://www.toprankblog.com/2010/12/social-media-advertising-twitter/
Article Author(s): Lee Odden
Reviewed by: Sadia Sharmin
Abstract:
This article mentions the reason social media advertising is a growing trend: social networking sites enable businesses to make advertising a part of the social experience, as opposed to the traditional interruptive nature of ads. The main focus of the post is the way Twitter -- one of the most popular social networking sites of 2010 -- took advantage of this trend by introducing new advertising options that made buying ads on Twitter easier. The three new advertising Twitter introduced on December 2010 were Promoted Tweets, Promoted Trends, and Promoted Accounts. The post provides links to case studies from companies such as Best Buy, jetBlue, and more, to give examples of how advertising on Twitter can be beneficial to a business. Since Twitter's advertising model is fairly new, the author did not have enough information to list ad specific best practices but instead lists general "Twitter best practices", such as "Share" information and photos about your business and projects that are in-development, "Listen" for comments, "Ask" for feedback, "Reward" by responding promptly and often, "Demonstrate leadership" by referencing to articles about your business, "Champion your stakeholders" by replying to tweets made by your followers, and "Establish the right voice" . The article provides links to other posts on how Twitter's new advertising model should be approached.
Tags: social media, twitter, advertising
Article Title: 5 Masterminds Redefining Social Media Marketing
Article Source: http://mashable.com/2011/01/21/social-media-marketing-masterminds/
Article Author(s): Erica Swallow
Reviewed by: Sadia Sharmin
Social media marketing is a constantly evolving area within online advertising. This article presents information on five innovative thinkers who are redefining the way businesses can take advantage of social tools. The first of the five is Randi Zuckerberg, Marketing Director and spokesperson of Facebook. Since Facebook marketing is still a fairly new trend, Zuckerberg and her team go beyond creating marketing programs, and strongly focus on educating businesses/organizations on how to effectively grow their Facebook presence. Educational resources are readily available on the site, such as on the Facebook for Non-Profits Page and through web seminars. Secondly, Joe Fernandez, is the CEO and Co-founder of Klout, a website which calculates and measures a user's overall online influence. Klout is meant to redefine marketers' view of the audience, and make brands recognize the power of individuals. Brands are beginning to recognize influencers as not just typical customers, but business partners with whom relationships need to be built and managed. Chris Ramsey is the Co-Founder of Radian6, a company which attempts to create ways for social media marketers to analyze the results of their marketing programs. Ramsay recognized that online marketing is a "two-way communication platform" which requires brands to provide proactive customer service. Radian6 allows marketers to be aware of any online conversations about their brands, through social media monitoring, analysis and engagement. Suzie Reider, the Director of Display Advertising on Youtube, is in charge of creating campaigns that allow marketers to advertise alongside Youtube's content. Youtube's work with marketers redefines the concept of "display advertising" by creating marketing programs that both Youtube users and advertisers can benefit from, such as the recent marketing program for "Life in a Day", a documentary which gave Youtube users a chance to showcase their personal lives in the form of short videos. Chloe Sladden, the Director of Media Partnerships for Twitter, works to create new ways to use Twitter for content creation, audience engagement, news reporting, and as a marketing tool. Sladden and her team launched a Twitter Media blog in 2010, containing information on how to analyze, filter, and visualize tweets, and featuring best practices and case studies on transforming news and entertainment into journalism through tweeting.
Tags: social media, case studies, marketing, facebook, klout, radian6, youtube, twitter
Article Title: 5 Tips For Finding a Job Through Social Media
Article Source: Career Builder.com
Article Author(s): Nisa Chitakasem
Reviewed by: Patrick Naval
Abstract
People assume that getting a job through social media is an easy task. They're wrong! This article discusses how you can increase
your chances of nabbing that dream job via social media. Of course, this is beneficial for us ICCITers especially when we're in the
\verge of graduation and our folks are starting to ask for rent.
1. Review your online reputation
Make sure to do some social media housekeeping and delete those drunken pictures from Cabo.
Tailor your profile according to your intended career. If you want to become a model, now's a good time to buy Photoshop.
2. Know where to look
It's you responsibility to find potential employers. You can use apps like Twellow,
Tweetscoop, and Monitter to find those people involved in your desired job.
3. Communicate with the relevant players
Don't be that guy/girl who asks... "You guys hiring?" Build an online relationship and repertoire.
This way, you will be remembered in case they don't have anything available. Get involved: discuss, retweet,
comment, like, share, lol, do whatever it takes to show that you are sociable, interested, and unselfish.
4. Be willing to learn
Now, this doesn't mean you should sacrifice whatever knowledge you got.
Just show people you are willing to grow and learn: ask for advice, discuss in groups, join groups, etc.
5. Don't limit yourself
Don't rely completely on social media. Utilize it with other offline/online career search strategies.
Attend career seminars and working events, ask your career counselor to help you find an internship.
Article Title: 5 cool startups at the first Launch conference
Article Source: socialmedia.biz
Article Author(s): JD Lasica
Reviewed by: Patrick Naval
Abstract
The first annual Launch conference was held a little over a week ago at the San Francisco Design Concourse.
The conference exhibited various new entrepreneurial talents in the online and business community.
This article looks at these the up and comers who may well be the next Facebook or Twitter.
ICCITers keep these cool startups under your radar! Who knows, you might need these startups in the future or even inspire you to create your own.
Group{in}: Organize your work & personal lives
Having troubles prioritizing your life? Group{in}, a mobile app, can make this easier for you. Essentially, it simplifies
the group communications you already have making it easier for you to contact these groups and enjoyable.
Give2Gether: Democratized social fund-raising
Want to raise funds for a cause? Give2gether can help. Apparently, the average donor gives 70 cents in
common social media site such as Facebook and Twitter. Give2gether boasts $75 per person! What's their secret?
The site makes donating a social interaction. Donors become friends and teammates with a common objective of contributing (donations are tracked).
News 360: News & multimedia on your iPad
It's free! Need I say more? This IPad app has social media sharing features, collects thousands of news sources,
has personalization, and remembers your favorite news stories.
Brand-Yourself: Manage your reputation
We all have skeletons in our closets. With closets I mean Facebook or Twitter and with skeletons I mean drunken photos.
"Bury" these unwanted things with Brand-Yourself. This can be really helpful if you have a business or looking for a job.
Essentially, it is a great way to maintain you personal brand.
DARfm: A DVR for radio
DARfm is like Tivo for your radio. It lets you record your favorite radio programs in case you missed them.
Article Title: Twitter vs. Facebook: Spreading The Word Without Annoying Users
Article Source: http://www.myfastype.com/Blog/2011/01/11/twitter-vs-facebook-spreading-the-word-without-annoying-users/
Article Author: Terry Green
Reviewed by: Nidhi Jayashankar
This article compares the social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, with respect to viral marketing. When it comes to viral marketing, Twitter is the most popular, with its friendly, public, easy to use medium. However, there are some disadvantages with respect to promotion. Public promotions can often hurt a brand, memes can sometimes lead to marketing disappearances, and message flooding can be misinterpreted as spam. For these reasons, many marketers are now looking into using Facebook as an alternative for promotion purposes. This is due to the fact that Facebook is private, and it's network-based nature can make it a greater tool for viral growth than Twitter. Further, the private nature of Facebook makes it suitable for optimizing and promoting one's brand, without the fear of it being labeled as 'spam'. With privacy comes a level of trust that's otherwise missing (like in Twitter). Therefore, Facebook seems to work as a better viral marketing tool than Twitter, even though Twitter is highly hyped up and is most popular.
Tags: viral marketing, Twitter, Facebook, promotion, brand, spam
Article Title: Are Blogging Sites Threatened by Social Media?
Article Source: http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/internet/are-blogging-sites-threatened-by-social-media.html
Article Author(s): TJ Philpott
Reviewed by: Nidhi Jayashankar
Abstract: This article talks about whether blogging sites are pushing away the social media sites; thereby making them seem less important. Recent reports have shown that there is an increased shift from the usage of blogging sites towards social media sites. Questions are raised as to whether in fact the blog platform itself is being pushed aside in favor of social media sites. The article further goes on to differentiate the characteristics of blog sites to that of online social sites. It is said that blogs are highly focused around one theme or topic, whereas social sites have little or no focus. Also, the blog has the purpose to educate or inform its readers, thereby making it stick to the topic, but social sites have no such constraints on subject matter. There is also an educational value that blogs provide, as the main intent of a blog is to share useful information with readers. On the other hand, social sites provide a lot of information, majority of which may prove useful at all. Therefore, claims such as online blogging is being replaced by social media use may not be entirely accurate. Both the social gathering spots serve different purposes and they indicate a mutually exclusive and ongoing need for both.
Tags: social media, blogging
Article Title: SEO for marketing: How to tap into the power of search
Article Source: < http://www.silicon.com/management/sales-and-marketing/2010/11/16/seo-for-marketing-how-to-tap-into-the-power-of-search-39746533/
Article Author: Cath Everett
Reviewed by: Marina Ristic
Abstract:
Despite the promising effects of proper search engine optimization (SEO), many smaller companies are not taking adequate advantage of it, nor do they plan on investing into SEO. This may be mainly attributed to the fact that many companies are not aware of the benefits of SEO. This article identifies SEO as the initiative to take advantage of the �indexing� features of search engines in such a way that when a certain keyword is searched, the company�s website will appear as a result. The article asserts that SEO should be a part of the company�s marketing strategy. It should be included as part of the company website�s design, and not simply �added on� afterwards. Companies should hire a qualified individual (or company) to implement their SEO � someone who is Internet-savvy with a background in Web programming, and someone who will guide the company in devising a successful key-word strategy. The article lists features that make certain websites more suited for SEO. These include: the accurate titling of each webpage, using descriptive headings, and using HTML-based websites instead of Flash-based websites. The article also states that a good SEO campaign should create new, quality links to the company's website in order to encourage linking (by other sites) and traffic. Having many unique and genuine links will increase the website�s rank and will immediately improve a company's SEO.
Tags: search engine optimization, SEO, online marketing, website ranking
Article Title: Behavioral Targeted Ads: Good or Bad?
Article Source: < http://blog.atex.com/bid/39100/Behavioral-Targeted-Ads-Good-Or-Bad >
Article Author: Keegan Skidmore
Reviewed by: Marina Ristic
Abstract:
This article examines the implications of targeted ads. The author identifies two main schools of thought. The first view of targeted ads is positive. It states that ads placed according to behaviour are more effective than usual ads. This is because they appeal to people�s current interests; as a result, they are also more expensive � roughly 2.8 times more than a non-targeted ad. This is beneficial to publishers, who will make more money off of sold ad space, and advertisers, who will potentially profit from greater click-thru rates. The second view of targeted advertising is negative. It states that targeted ads disliked by the public because they are perceived as too invasive. For targeted ads to work, Internet users� online activities must be tracked. The article cites Berkeley University studies that concluded that young Internet users are �averse� to having their Internet activities tracked, and that websites should be forced to delete the private information that they freely collect. The author concludes with a question to which the answer is unclear: although behavioural targeted ads are worthwhile to advertisers and publishers, are they worth the invasion of privacy of the targeted user?
Tags: targeted marketing, advertising, social media, online advertising, behavioural targeted ads
Article Title: Online Advertising
Article Source: http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Online_Advertising#Related_examples_of_online_advertising_.E2.80.93_Technological_Advances
Article Author(s): M/Cyclopedia of New Media
Reviewed by: Vanessa Holding
Abstract: This article is from a wiki based website that is similar to the better known Wikipedia, but this site is dedicated to topics revolving around new media. The entry on Online Advertising provides an in-depth look into the capabilities and advantages that marketing on the web can provide advertisers. It begins with a brief introduction and definition of online advertising, and also provides a distinction between legitimate advertising, and illegitimate, also known as spamming. The examples given for online advertising are limited here to spyware/adware, web banner, web portal, weblog, interactive broadband commercial, rich advertising (ex. flash, shockwave) and online promotional tools like e-mail marketing, although it states there are many more examples out there. The article then looks at the benefits of some of these strategies, like customization features which allow greater personalization of advertisements, and also how targeting specific consumers can aid marketing through tools such as Search Engine Optimization. Some of the ways in which advertisements are dealt with like (PPC) pay per click are discussed, and the places they are commonly found are web portals and affiliate programs. The article also deals with how to measure the effectiveness of online advertising through things like page views, click-through rates, and referrals. The last significant aspect of the article talks about some issues revolving around privacy and ethics due to the openness of the Web. Overall, this webpage can be a very valuable tool for those who are beginning to get an understanding of what online marketing is, the possibilities, the benefits of it, and things to avoid doing.
Tags: online advertising, web banner, blog, SEO, PPC, e-mail marketing, rich advertising, RSS, privacy & ethics, interactive media, spyware, customization.
Article Title: How to see Media Spend, Site Traffic, and Social Media Activity in One Report
Article Source: http://onlinemediaanalyst.com/2010/04/22/how-to-see-media-spend-site-traffic-and-social-media-activity-in-one-report/
Article Author(s): Eric Melchor
Reviewed by: Vanessa Holding
Abstract: This article is meant for advertisers, or as stated in the first sentence, a marketing manager, who is dealing with multiple aspects of a campaign strategy or aspects of a website, and needs a place to be able to read multiple data charts in one dashboard. When creating an online campaign there are numerous aspects that need to be accounted for before execution of the campaign, and then also the analysis afterwards. The article discusses why a media dashboard where you and your advertising team can view and account for all the separate parts of the campaign strategy in one spot is ideal. It even gives readers a link to a place where you can download that kind of dashboard. There are eight basic charts that Melchor suggests for a websites online campaign, including, website activity, website referrals, offline activity, media spend, monthly media mix, digital activity, QR code activity, and social media activity. Of course they are only suggestions, and the content will be transformed for each specific campaign purpose. Melchor states that it is simple enough that anyone with basic Excel skills could handle it fine. This type of tool can give advertisers/marketers a better comprehension of varying details like money spent in the campaign and click-through rate of certain advertisements, and can also aid in looking at the bigger picture, like overall effectiveness. This article and attached software will be useful once you begin to develop a complex and integrated online media campaign.
Tags: interactive dashboard, reports, marketing manager, digital spending, page views, referring sites, media spend, campaign.
Article Title: Best of Eyetrack III: What We Saw When We Looked Through Their Eyes
Article Source: The Poynter Institute. Available online at: < http://www.poynterextra.org/eyetrack2004/main.htm >
Article Author(s): Steve Outing and Laura Ruel
Reviewed by: Azarmeen Dastoor
Usability testing evaluates the efficiency of a website by examining the user�s experience and satisfaction while navigating through a site. One of the ways usability testing is conducted is through eyetracking. These tests provide marketers, advertisers, graphic designers, and web designers with essential feedback on the successes or failures of their website from: what words a user skims over in search results, how long each paragraph should be, where a navigation menu should be placed for accessibility, to determining whether a text or graphic better conveys certain information. Many factors affect how long a user pays attention to the advertisement, if at all. Eyetracking devices map out their results is by generating heatmaps that visualize hotspots and overlooked regions through hot and cold colours. Pertaining to advertising, the Eyetrack III tests compiled a few guidelines: (1) most users inspected ads located on the top left region of a homepage, (2) the content surrounding the ad is important and should not be separated by a barrier, (3) text ads make the user gaze at the ad longer than graphic ads, (4) large-scale ads were more frequently seen than small-scale ads, and (5) photographs were often clicked (Outing and Ruel). These observations help the creators of ads and online spaces construct a productive website.
Tags: attention, design, efficiency, eyetracking, gaze, heatmaps, satisfaction, usability factors, usability testing, website evaluation
Article Title: Online Reputation Management: The Basics
Article Source: SitePoint Pty. Ltd. Available online at: < http://blogs.sitepoint.com/2009/05/20/online-reputation-management >
Article Author(s): Alyssa Gregory
Reviewed by: Azarmeen Dastoor
When an individual company receives negative feedback by its customers or other users online, their business could suffer greatly. Similar to public relations, online reputation management (ORM) aims to minimize negative feedback to maintain the reputation of the business. This is done through three steps, listed in a nonchronological order: (1) identifying how the company is perceived by the public through regular observation, (2) planning out the different ways the public will perceive a certain action on a smaller group before going through with it completely, and (3) either act accordingly through statements or disregard the negativity itself (Gregory). It allows companies to constantly be informed about what an individual thinks he/she knows about the business, who he/she is spreading this negative commentary to, and why he/she is driven to do so (Gregory). Online reputation management does not necessarily prevent the negative feedback from occurring in the first place, but instead it provides the company some tools to deal with the problems it might be facing while it is in the public eye. Without online reputation management, the company can lose numerous potential customers through a few bad reviews listed in Google search results.
Tags: feedback, negativity, online reputation management, positivity, public relations, publicity, reputation
Article Title: �Tearing Down the Walls: How social media is changing everything about the way we do business�.
Article Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217507
Article Author(s): Jason Daley, Entrepreneur Magazine
Reviewed by: Catharine Charlesworth
Abstract: Daley describes the impact of social media on businesses, breaking down �silos� or previously segmented around areas within companies, or between companies and clients (Daley 2010). He argues that social media forms a crucial part of today�s online marketing strategies, and the potential suggested - but mostly untapped - by some current online campaigns, and that companies of any size can stand to benefit from using social media effectively (Daley 2010). He describes the importance of customization in appealing to �Consumers [who] are increasingly sophisticated and have very diverse palates� (Daley 2010). Daley describes how social media helped companies such as Dell and Starbucks develop stronger relationships with customers by allowing users to effectively contribute content and ideas to the company (Daley 2010). He also presents potential changes to social media networks in the future, including �a more open architecture� (Daley 2010). In addition, a sidebar in the article links to four alternative social networking sites useful to marketers (Daley 2010).
Tags: Social Media, Advertising Campaigns, Entrepreneurship, Customization
Article Title: How To Develop A Social Media Strategy: A Roadmap for Integration
Article Source: http://veryofficialblog.com/2010/06/01/how-to-develop-a-social-media-strategy-a-roadmap-for-integration/
Article Author(s): Shannon Paul - June 1 2010
Reviewed by: Catharine Charlesworth
Abstract: In this entry at Very Official Blog, a Social Media Blog with plenty of useful entries, Shannon Paul creates offers social media users a �comprehensive roadmap� (Paul 2010). She does this by posing readers with 28 questions about their purposes, goals, and strategies (Paul 2010). She groups her questions into several stages of development, including a �foundation�, �defining the scope of the conversation�, �measurement and reporting� and �creation and deployment� )Paul 2010). Within the article she links to helpful resources and techniques for users to help them answer the questions she presents, challenging marketers to narrow their focus and create a successful brand (Paul 2010). In the beginning, she asks users to identify whether or not their company will �experiment� with social media; she then goes into particular detail about how social media forms one component of a �parent strategy� for a business, and the importance of integrating the two successfully (Paul 2010). She also discusses topics such as on-brand messages, identifying needed resources, and planning a launch (Paul 2010).
Tags: Social Media, Branding, Strategy, Online Advertising, Project Management
Article Title: "Trends in In-gaming Advertising"
Article Source: Simply Zesty Online PR and Social Media, < http://www.simplyzesty.com/advertising/trends-ingame-advertising/ >
Article Author(s): Lauren Fisher
Reviewed by: Nancy Tam
Abstract: Fisher argues that social gaming provides ample opportunities for advertisers to reach a large audience. Through games that require players to constantly purchase virtual items, brands are able to advertise to players regularly and increase sales in real life. According to a Nielson and Electronic Arts study, the U.S. will expand its investment on in-game advertising to $2 billion by 2012 (Fisher 2010). Fisher uses MacDonalds� campaign in Zynga�s Farmville as an example to illustrate how a brand can assert itself into the lives of over 70 million users (Fisher 2010). For one day, MacDonalds offered �branded virtual goods� to any user who chose to grow plants in their corporate colours (Fisher 2010). It was a way to show users that both the advertiser and the gaming company respected their needs to have advertisements that were relevant and useful. An advertiser�s goal is to convince viewers that the brand can �improve their online lives� versus real life (Fisher 2010). As a result, advertisers need to dedicate their time in understanding how people interact and consume online. It can a tough job to keep up with the evolving trends and to maintain the user�s attention. In the future, advertising agencies may no longer be needed for in-gaming advertising because gaming companies are finding it easier to set up arrangements with clients. Therefore, advertisers need to find more innovative and creative ways to continually profit from the online gaming community.
Tags: social media, social gaming, Farmville, Zynga, in-gaming advertising, online campaign, online gaming, interactive advertising
Article Title: "Facebook's Ads Work REALLY When Facebook Can Get Users Talking About Them
Article Source: Business Insider: Silicon Valley Insider, < http://www.businessinsider.com/facebooks-ads-work-really-well-when-facebook-can-get-users-talking-about-them-2010-4 >
Article Author(s): Jack Neff
Reviewed by: Nancy Tam
Abstract: Neff argues that in order for a Facebook advertisement to be effective, the campaign must be based on �organic social advocacy� (Neff 2010). In other words, users need actively promote the brand via the news feed, the fan page, and other Facebook features. According to a Nielson Co. study, ad recall jumps from 10% to 30% when the advertisement appears in the news feed (Neff 2010). Similarly, brand awareness increases from 2% to 13% when the news feed mentions a friend has become a fan of the brand (Neff 2010). Ultimately, actual sales become affected when purchase intent jumps four times due user advocacy (Neff 2010). What makes �earned media� stand out from �paid media� is that there is a larger impact on sales when people have friends affiliated with a brand (Neff 2010). Nielson Co.�s study shows that there is a higher click rate for a friend�s posting in the news feed versus a banner ad. Marketers need to understand that online advertisements are less about packaging and more about winning over the users. They need to engage in a long-term interaction with the users in order to maintain and increase attention. The short-term advertising campaign does not work on Facebook.
Tags: social media, Facebook, social advocacy, organic social advocacy, ad recall, brand awareness, earned media, paid media, online advertising, social networks, banner ads, relationship marketing
Article Title: After Two Slow Years, an Industry Rebound Begins
Article Source: New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/03/business/media/03adco.html?bl
Article Author(s): Tanzina Vega, Stuart Elliott
Reviewed by: Karen Hui
Abstract: This article reaffirms the positive growth in the advertising expenditures and the unparalleled success of digital advertising. Statistics show that 70% of advertisers will increase spending on digital video this year (Vega, Elliott 2011). Marketers prefer online ads, especially search ads as they can be tracked and measured for their success and financial result. According to Brian Wieser of Magnaglobal, the fastest growing media will be online video and mobile. For instance, General Electric's upcoming Ecomagination campaign will consist of user-generated Youtube videos, a contest on Flickr, and mobile ads. This type of campaign has been successful for others in the past. Nowadays, it is hard to find a campaign without some use of social media. The article argues that while advertisers will have more options to advertise on and with, it'd be more difficult to reach increasingly fragmented audiences on each platform (Vega, Elliott 2011). While numbers are up for digital media, mobile and even television and radio, the article suggests that print media can remain relevant by adapting with the new medium of tablets such as iPads.
Tags: online video, mobile, advertising, social media, youtube, flickr, tablet, fragmentation
Article Title: Mobile advertising faces tough reception
Article Source: ZDNet and Silicon.com http://www.zdnetasia.com/mobile-advertising-faces-tough-reception-62205524.htm
Article Author(s): Tim Ferguson
Reviewed by: Karen Hui
Abstract: According to this article, the market of mobile advertising not eclipse that of computer advertising any time soon. Despite the rising popularity and sales of smartphones, most people access the Internet through their computers, not their phones. Even in 2015, it is predicted that only 28% of time spent on the Internet will be done through mobile devices (Ferguson 2011). The article brings up some of the reasons deterring people from Internet mobile usage. Firstly, the small screen size limits the size and number of advertisements being shown on a single page. Secondly, ads for expensive products (such as financial services and travel packages) would not be relevant in mobile advertising because people do not make these purchases over the phone. The demand for such products and its advertisements does not exist, thus limiting the potential of m-commerce.
Despite these issues, investments into mobile advertising continue to pour in, with companies spending �419m (US$647.35m) by 2015, up from �46m US$71.07m) in 2009 (Ferguson 2011).
Tags: mobile advertising, mobile device, smartphone, m-commerce
Article Title: Android Invasion - How Android is Transforming Mobile Computing
Article Source: Newsweek.com
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/10/03/how-android-is-transforming-mobile-computing.html
Article Author: Daniel Lyons
Reviewed by: Anthony Russo
Abstract:
This article talks about the impact that android powered smart phones have had on the mobile phone market. Daniel Lyons begins by explaining the booming expansion of the android operating system, which as he says can very easily have over 25% or the market of mobile devices over their biggest rival apple�s 11% (Lyons 2010). The implications of this are put into perspective as Lyons describes the marketing techniques and revenue gains the android OS has. He explains that the android operating system was optimized to run many applications at the same time and quickly and efficiently render web ages at the same time (Lyons 2010). This makes it a powerful new OS based on a more modern philosophy then its competition. This on top of the fact that the OS is open source software means that companies such as HTC and Motorola, amongst others, are able to customize and alter the source code in small ways to make it their own (Lyons 2010). Having the ability to change the interface of software allows for the android OS to be branched out into the hands of many different developers while becoming uniquely different in every case, yet still being the same core software. The implications of this mean that proprietary software such as apples ios have far more limitations in the long run. Lyons also adds that the Google does not make revenue off the android OS its self, but rather through the advertising revenue. This model allows them to spread father and wider across the medium than their competition.
Tags: Mobile computing, Android, Advertising, Google
Article Title: Google is planning its own Daily Deals Offers
Source: San Francisco Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2011%2F01%2F21%2FBURH1HCMH7.DTL
Article Author: Casey Newton, James Temple
Reviewed by: Anthony Russo
Abstract:
This article is written on Google�s interest in the online money saving website Groupon.com. Groupon is a brilliant online advertising website that localizes deals to each specific user by region, gender and age. The platform they work on is essentially working with local businesses it create and promote deals and sales on their website. The huge exposure Groupon is capable of giving a small company is what they are really after. The deal the company�s make with Groupon includes an agreement that Groupon will keep a certain percentage of the sales. With a strong viral market this relationship with business owners stands to make the company promoting the deal a large sum of money. This makes the marketing technique very viable. With this potential to make money, Google attempted to buy the company for approximately 6 billion dollars. The article says that annual revenue for the company is reaching 1 billion dollars a year. Groupon rejected Google�s offer. The competitive nature of the field shows just how much money these companies stand to make. The approach Google is now taking is to create a similar marketing and advertising platform in order to tap into the money making power of the online environment. This creates important implications of the future of both of these companies. Although Google will most likely not be damaged to greatly by failure, Google�s success is a hazard to the longevity of Groupon�s business. The battle of this online market is something to pay close attention on in the future.
Tags: Groupon, Google, Online Marketing
Article Title: Google Click to Call Advertising
Article Source: Problogger.net. Link here
Article Author(s): Darren Rowse
Reviewed by: Ricardo Segura
Abstract: In this blog post, Rowse comments on a new way of marketing that Google has begun to test in parts of the USA. This new way of advertising is similar to a Pay Per Click technology. The user sees an advert that is desirable to him or her and clicks, which in turn takes the user to the landing page. The new Google model uses a Pay Per Call marketing strategy. According to the Google website, "When you click the phone icon, you can enter your phone number. Once you click �Connect For Free,� Google calls the number you provided. When you pick up, you hear ringing on the other end as Google connects you to the other party. Then, chat away on our dime". This new model also assumes that the advertiser will pay not only for the click, but for the call as well. Even though this new marketing strategy might be more expensive than the traditional Google text-based AdWords, this might make the consumer "as focused on the goal � conversion � as possible" (Stokes, 59). By Google arranging a call within seconds, the advertisers could not be closer to their target consumers. All one needs is exceptional communication skills to convince, or convert, the consumer. One problem does arise out of this: we are constantly moving away from voice interactions. New technologies have seen an increasingly chat-based communicational experience. Google's decision to R&D Pay Per Call advertising is a definite risky step. However, as with any other Google invention, it can prove to be an immense success, or a terrible disaster.
Tags: Google, Click-to-Call, advertising, new, call, PPC, AdWords
Article Title: Amazon fake reviews get more subversive?
Article Source: <http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2011/02/amazon-fake-reviews-get-more-subversive.html>
Author(s): David Gianatasio
Reviewed by: (Cathy) Kwok Yin Chan
Abstract:
The growth in the market for online purchases continues to increase, ranging from textbooks to clothes. As purchases are highly influenced by word of mouth, online user reviews have the biggest influence on consumer electronics purchases. However, little did we know that sometimes, these reviews can be false. In this article, photographer David Friedman, claimed on his blog that companies are subtly manipulating amazon.com product reviews to get consumers to buy their product. Many companies have been caught by Amazon, which range from reviewers that work for the company to reviewers that are hired to write fake reviews. Friedman analyzed that today�s trends seem to be that rather than placing easily recognized fake review directly for the product, businesses places these manipulated reviews on related products. As stated by Gianatasio, Friedman used the example of Onkyo speaker mounts reviews. He described many of the reviews were more directed towards selling Onkyo speakers. Despite of how great they were, it was just the mentioning of the name that was important. The article questions the legitimacy and effectiveness of online product reviews. I definitely agree with Gianatasio that these subtle placements are an incredibly effective way to market its brand. User reviews play such a large role in terms of getting consumers to purchasing products online. However, as a regular online consumer, it is fairly difficult to distinguish whether reviews are real of fake until you actually try out the product. Wouldn�t that mean that this method of marketing is successful in achieving what the purpose of these reviews want us to?
Tags: Amazon.com, reviews, online purchasing, e-commerce
Article Title: DuckDuckGo�s searches are the anti-Google
Article Source: http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2011/02/duckduckgos-searches-are-the-anti-google.html
Article Author(s): Rebecca Cullers
Reviewed by: (Cathy) Kwok Yin Chan
Abstract: (250 words or so, summarizing main points)
In this blog, it talks about Google�s search engine competitor DuckDuckGo, who recently bought a billboard in L.A. In the ad, it says �Google tracks you. We don�t.� The article mentions that Gabriel Weinberg, the founder, coder and sole employee of DuckDuckGo, stated that Google sends along your search query to the sites you visit. What DuckDuckGo tries to point is that they won�t, as if the searches you type are personal information. Here, Cullen argues that the marketers at DuckDuckGo are overestimating how much search engine users care about their personal lives, that they are going too specific of what people actually care about. As a frequent search engine user, I found Google�s tracking quite beneficial because it gives you what you�re looking for as well as possible ads you might be interested in. In other cases, website owners may want to know what keywords to buy in order to get the right type of consumers viewing your site, as well as getting rid of unwanted viewers. Despite of this, numbers have shown that after a month of purchasing the billboard, the search engine queries managed to boost up by 5 million.
Tags: DuckDuckGo, Google, search engine, privacy
Article Title: Google�s AdMob Seeing 2 Billion Ad Requests Per Month; Up 300 Percent Over Past Year
Article Source: TechCrunch.com. Link here
Article Author(s): Leena Rao
Reviewed by: Ricardo Segura
Abstract: Rao begins her commentary by informing the reader on some staggering statistics. Admob, a company recently bought by Google, specializes in digital mobile advertising. Due to the rapid increase of Applications present in the iOS and Android environments, the company has tripled its ad requests in less than a year. As Rao comments, "AdMob says that more than 100 million unique Android and iOS devices requested an ad each month, which is double the rate over the last six months" (Rao, par. 3). What is of most importance to note in this sudden increase of ad requests is that advertisers have realized how valuable digital mobile advertisements are. Advertisers should be wary, however. As Stokes comments, "You can make your advertising relevant with the many filters available when selecting where to show your adverts" (Stokes, 112). In Admob, it is more challenging to target your advertisement accordingly. Additionally, if the advertiser thought that Google Adwords provided little space for text, Admob users will need to rethink their marketing strategies as Admob only allows a sentence to be displayed on iOS and Android devices. Admob's recent spike of ad requests come after the company was purchased by Google last year. This signifies good news for prospective online advertisers: Google Adwords and Admob work. Ask the 4 billion advertisers that placed their ads last month.
Tags: Google, Admob, advertising, mobile, revenue, digital marketing, iOS, Android, App, ad request
Article Title: How To Get Any Job You Want Using Social Media
Article Source: www.bloggodown.com http://www.bloggodown.com/2010/04/how-to-get-any-job-you-want-using-social-media.html
Article Author(s): Joshua Titsworth
Reviewed by: Kristen Simpson
Abstract:
This article, written by Joshua Titsworth, illustrates how you can get any job you want using social media, including Facebook, Twitter and blogging. However, don't let it fool you, this isn't an easy way out, just setting up and account does not guarantee you a job, this requires work and commitment on your part. He outlines four strategies for optimizing your online profile. First, Joshua states you must get control of your name . Most employers search your name to see what pops up, you must ensure that it is nothing that would cause you to lose the job before you even have it. Joshua says, "The point is to portray the role you want to have" (Titsworth 2010), if your desired job includes working with children, have a picture of you playing with some as your profile photo and avoid anything that could be inappropriate. Secondly, keeping privacy private and publicity public , setting up the privacy settings on accounts such as facebook, ensures inappropriate photos or private information stays private. This helps the employer to pay attention to certain areas you want highlighted and shows you know what information is being presented about you to the public. "Only post online what you want to be seen" (Titsworth 2010). Thirdly, optimizing current social media profiles , keep your name consistent throughout your profiles and your resume to ensure they appear when being searched. Finally, the last strategy he has for getting a job is setting up a blog . This is a great way to show your employer your inner thoughts, however, this must be done a certain way. Joshua says you shouldn't only write personal thoughts and rant about how much you want a job, also don't write about anything inappropriate. The best way to use your blog is to "show the readers (potential employers) you are actively researching and learning more about the industry in question...also add a page devoted to your resume" (Titsworth 2010). Don't just stop at posting on your own, join communities or forums to start networking, make sure to post an archive on your blog of where you post. Most importantly let your passion shine and continue showing this passion and your personality if and when you get an interview.
Tags: blogs, job hunting, job search, social media, personal branding
Article Title: What Trolls Can Teach You About Reputation Management
Article Source: www.flowtwon.com http://www.flowtown.com/blog/what-trolls-can-teach-you-about-reputation-management
Article Author: JD Rucker
Reviewed by: Kristen Simpson
Abstract:
The Internet has drastically changed how reputations are managed. What used to be done through the press, television commercials and word of mouth, is now online where it is harder to control your image. Not all trolls are bad, but they can and are able to hurt a business. On the internet it's easy to create a website putting down a company, or just posting comments on the companies Facebook or twitter can get their message out. The most important thing to reputation management is to be transparent and honest. Don't post fake reviews, not identifying yourself as an employee, saying you like the product. On the Internet it's easy to track that information down and you will get caught and trolled, and the results will be bad. You must remain transparent, always identify yourself in interactions. "Honesty means that you MUST fight the urge to post false reviews, fake testimonials, or �voice of the people� opinions from someone that doesn�t exist" (JD Rucker 2010).
There are two types of trolls, those that want some sort of retribution for a wrong done to them and those who just want attention and to hurt your business. For the first type of troll, show that you are interested in their problem and are willing to help. "When you�re dealing with a troll who has a genuine concern they want addressed, you have to take the bait. Even if you simply tell them in a professional manner that there really isn�t anything you can do, it�s better than being silent... Empathy is a powerful tool and allowing them being sincerely concerned with their bad experience is a trait that every business owner should have" (JD Rucker 2010). For trolls that simply want to hurt you, the key is to be selective with what you say, "often a simple apology will do" (JD Rucker 2010). When you are professional with your reply even when the troll is being unreasonable, anyone who sees the posts will witness how you tried to resolve the issue. Sometimes if the troll is just being an idiot, its best to ignore them, rather than get sarcastic and egg them on. Listen to the trolls. "Sometimes, trolls make valid points. Sometimes, your biggest critics can hold the key to future success through the knowledge and discussions you have with them" (JD Rucker 2010).
Tags: online reputation, trolls, social media, reputation management
Article Title: Put Social Media to Work for You from Financial Post
Article Source: http://www.financialpost.com/entrepreneur/social+media+work/3720799/story.html
Article Author(s): Rick Spence
Reviewed by: Kleine Achiles
Abstract:
This is an example of how social media can take a person from relative unknown obscurity to mayor of Calgary. Naheed Nenshi ran an effective campaign using various social media outlets to reach the people of Calgary. It begins with a professional website that contained more than just the basic information on how to vote. Nenshi's website has a personal blog that's updated by an enthusiastic campaign member almost everyday. The blog contains links to various articles and works by Nenshi and suggestions on how to spread the word about Nenshi. Nenshi updates his own Twitter account, conversing with fans and non-fans of Nenshi and updating everyone of various appearances, policies and issues he supports. Nenshi also has a YouTube channel which contains various campaign videos, and popular videos titled �How do you say Naheed� and �Family Journeys� which each have over 8,900 views and 20, 000 views respectively. Nenshi�s Facebook page contains a plethora of forums discussing various issues. His �Wall� is full of comments about him and his campaign which brings him a lot of publicity and exposure.
This article shows the importance of engaging with your audience and the effectiveness of social media outlets when used to full advantage. Two months before the elections, Nenshi fell far behind against the other candidates in terms of fans and followers on Twitter and Facebook and views on YouTube. Social media helped Nenshi reach a younger audience in Calgary, many who don�t care too much about politics. But through effective engagement and selectively using appropriate social media channels, Nenshi went from underdog to winning by over 20,000 votes.
Tags: social media, Calgary, Naheed Nenshi, effective campaign
Article Source: http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/1938347/firms-compete-offer-behavioral-icon
Article author: Kate Kaye
Reviewed by: Danielle Surliuga
The article in �clickz.com� addresses the issue around the self-regulation of online advertising through the introduction of �ad verification icons� in online ads. They mention 3 companies - DoubleVerify, Evidon and TRUSTe � that are certified to implement the special icon on online campaign. This icon ensures that even though an ad is placed within a page according to a user�s preference and the page�s content, it is still within appropriate privacy standards. The certified companies provide not only the icon but also guarantee compliance with online self-regulatory privacy standards (overseen by the Digital Advertising Alliance) and deliver information about the ads� turnout to the advertising company. The icon also provides information such as the number of clicks on an ad, how many people opted out of being targeted by that campaign and more. The importance of this icon is mainly the concern with ad agencies gathering information about the user�s Internet habits in order to effectively target ads. When a company chooses to implement the icon (by contracting one of the 3 certified firms) they show the users that they comply with the self-regulatory system, and therefore care for their costumer�s privacy. Adhering to the service is a cost to advertisers (since they have to pay the certified agencies), but as mentioned in the article, the benefits of fostering a trust relationship with users is greater (in terms of branding).
The interesting conclusion I took from this article, and that I believe is relevant to CCT356, is that not only is privacy an important field in online advertising but also it has become and industry. As future online advertisers we can look at privacy in two ways: as a concern (when we are running our own campaigns) and as a business opportunity (creating and profiting from services such as the ad verification icons).
Article Tite: An analysis of the importance of the long tail in search engine marketing
Article Source: http://journals1.scholarsportal.info/tmp/7106223376362232805.pdf
Article Author: Bernd Skiera a,*, Jochen Eckert b, Oliver Hinz c
Reviewed By: Semira B. Fernandes
In today's online marketing, search engine marketing is extremely popular to online advertising. Many advertising agencies claim that employing hundreds or thousands of keywords drives the success of search engine marketing. This article suggests otherwise and demonstrates that the use of the top 100 keywords is enough to contribute to a significant success of search engine marketing. Online advertisers use the strategy of “long tail” advertising. This technique requires the use of numerous keywords to successfully run search engine marketing campaigns. Skiera, Eckert & Hinz doubt the success of long tail advertising and run an empirical study, which challenges this strategy and further predicts the success of short tail strategies. The results of their study show the use of a few keywords is sufficient in capturing vast majority of searches. This finding implies that the top 100 keywords are adequate enough to generate the same about of success that long tail techniques produce. In its conclusion, the article indentifies that small increases in the number of clicks and searches are seen when the number of keywords exceed 100. Additionally, the article concludes in outlining the importance of replacing the top 100 keywords since their performance changes over time. Thus, advertisers need to constantly analyze which of the keywords perform successfully to further analyze the success of their search engine marketing campaigns.
Article Title: YouTube becoming new advertising medium
Article Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/01/12/story12.html?surround=etf&ana=e_article
Article Author(s): Rich Kirchen
Reviewed by: QingYun Hu
Abstract: This journal summarizes some advantages and disadvantages for advertising on YouTube. It mentions that YouTube is current one of the most rapid growing Internet based advertising platform. Many people now use YouTube as the best advertising venue to attract customers. This journal mentions a person named Steve Thuilliez, who spends $200 per month to produce video and put it on YouTube to advertise his window and door business. However, the video does not seem to have any advertising effects because his video received 270 views but there is no indication of any sales leads. According to this article, the author mentions that about seventy-five percent of Americans watched at least one video per month in December 2008. Thuilliez�s failure is an indication that anything that smacks of conventional advertising won�t work on YouTube because people prefer not to watch commercials. However, this is not the only reason why people don�t watch it because this also depends on the creativity and attractiveness of the content of the video itself. The most successful YouTube videos are the ones that offered entertainment that coincidentally tied in to a product or surprised viewers at the end by identifying the advertiser, not by showing the advertised product directly. Advertising on YouTube will not only bring revenues to the advertisers, advertisers also have to take risks on YouTube because viewers can comment negatively on a video and post critical videos on a company�s products, brand or service, therefore, companies are also risking their reputation by advertising on YouTube.
Tags: Advertisement, YouTube, Marketing, Media, Technology
Article Title: Social Media Advertising To Succeed
Article Source: http://www.webpronews.com/social-media-advertising-will-succeed-2008-03
Article Author(s): Rich Ord
Reviewed by: QingYun Hu
Abstract: Social media is a different type of advertising platform. Social media delivers mass numbers of audience for advertisers on the Internet. The top 25 social media networks delivered over 155 million unique visitors in February 2008 with 70% coming from MySpace, Facebook and Classmates.com. YouTube and Flickr are two of the new social media sites that add to another 60 million of unique visitors totaling an estimated amount of 215 million human viewing social media monthly. This is an extraordinary happening because compared that to television where an average 24-hour period delivers around 50 million unique views. Even with the highest viewership day of the year, Super Bowl Sunday has only an estimated 110 million unique U.S residents viewing. Since the Internet became a powerful platform for advertisers to reach mass audience in which users were able to generate videos on websites such as YouTube, TV commercials have lost its competing ability. Advertising on social media sites is not only about click rates, it is more about quickly reaching mass audiences. Click rates are a reflection of pageviews and social media sites similar to TV have a large overlapping audience that hangs around them all day, every day. Therefore, social media audience is loyal. They are big spenders online and are considered a high value audience by ad agencies and advertisers. Advertisers value the audience, not just the clicks. Therefore, despite the fact that social media advertising has yet to hit its stride and is taking some lumps for low click rates when compared to high pageview, it will succeed.
Tags: Advertising , Facebook , Flickr , MySpace , Social Media , YouTube
Article Title: The effects of online advertising
Article Source: http://portal.acm.org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/citation.cfm?doid=1226736.1226740
Article Author(s): Scott McCoy, Andrea Everard, Peter Polak, and Dennis F. Galetta
Reviewed by: Monica Olszewski
Abstract:
This article talks about tests done to determine some of the effects that today`s online advertisements have on internet users. With the growing use of websites and online advertisement, it is becoming increasingly important to measure the success that advertising has on website users.
As an experiment, the authors made a test website with familiar properties to existing websites. Subjects were given nine search tasks to complete on the webpage, and were shown a number of advertisements in the form of pop-ups, pop-unders, or in-line ads. Upon completing the tasks, subjects were given a survey in which the outcome variable was collected. Results showed that although the subjects did not find the advertisements particularly intrusive, subjects who were not exposed to advertisements were more likely to return or recommend the site to others than those who were exposed to the advertisements. Results also showed that pop-ups and pop-unders were said to be more intrusive than the in-line ads.
In terms of what ads were shown to the subjects, results found that advertisements that had nothing to do with website content were considered more irritating than those that had to do with the web content. However, the ads that had nothing to do with the web content also had more of an impression on the subject. And also in terms of retention of information from the website and the advertisement, the pop-ups and pop-unders proved problematic because the act of closing the ad distracted the subject from browsing the website, and the advertisement was seen for less time than the in-line ads.
Altogether, the research found that pop-up ads are problematic when considering retention of information from advertisements and websites. If someone wants to gain to most out of advertisements, in-line ads are the best way to go.
Tags: Pop-ups, Pop-unders, in-line advertisements, information retention
Article Title: Consumer Privacy Concerns about Internet Marketing
Article Source: http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=272287.272299
Article Author(s): Huaiqing Wang, Matthew K.O. Lee, and Chen Wang
Reviewed by: Monica Olszewski
Abstract:
The internet has changed the way business relationships operate. Now it is possible to shop from home and choose from an array of products from all around the world.
One of the things holding internet shopping back from being full scale integrated into modern business is the fact that internet consumers have little trust in the new marketing machinery.
Consumers have expressed that their biggest fear is lack of personal privacy on the internet. A survey undertaken by Equifax and Harris Associates has shown that over two-thirds of consumers on the internet consider the privacy concern most important.
Research surrounding Internet marketing is sketchy and sometimes contradictory, so there is a need for clear research to analyze ideas and create a clear picture of the issues that surround internet marketing. This article helps to present a costumer perspective of on privacy issues, and presents consumers with knowledge on how to enhance privacy during their internet shopping experience.
Some activities that have posed concern with privacy include junk email marketing and tracking of user�s history of web usage, e.g. cookies.
Some major categories of concern include:
-improper access to a consumer�s private computer without permission or warning
-improper collection of consumer�s information such as email address, types of software used by the consumer, consumer�s web access history, and private files or databases without notice of permission from the consumer
-improper monitoring of the internet activities of consumers without permission from the consumer
-improper analysis of private information with the intention of reaching conclusion for research including shopping and spending patterns and behaviours
-improper transfer of information collected to other businesses
Although the online market holds immense potential in terms of integration into the mainstream market, there are concerns about privacy that are impeding on development.
Tags: privacy, consumer, electronic marketplace, information, collection, analysis, monitoring, improper access
Article Title: Measuring the Value of Social Media Advertising
Article Source: http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/20/social-media-advertising/
Article Author(s): Robin Waters, 2010
Reviewed by: Gabriela Rank
Abstract:
The following article talks about the effectiveness of online advertising, especially on social media sites like Facebook. It speaks about the alliance of Nielsen, an audience measuring firm that tracks TV, internet, and radio usage worldwide (Wauters, 2010), and Facebook in order to develop effective solutions towards brand advertising on social networks. The results were determined by a six-month study, which consisted on surveys to over more than 800,000 Facebooks users, and over 125 individual ad campaigns from over 70 different brands (Wauters, 2010).
To narrow down the study, Nielsen, focused on the �Become A Fan� interactive feature. The effectiveness of the unit was divided into three different ways, going from the more general to the more specific. The first one is known as the standard Engagement Ad (Homepage Ad), it is more towards the numerical value, rather than the contextual, as it presents the total number of people who like the brand. For example: 10,876 people are fans of TED Talks. The second form of ads is the Ads with Social Context (Social Ads), which can be considered as a form of narrowcasting. For example: Tim Griffin, Laura Hilrock, Tiffany Lui, and 10 other people are fans of TED Talks. The last form are known as the Organic Ad Impression (Newsfeed Ads), which works in the form of a newsfeed that is sent to known friends of a specific user, for example: Alex Wang and Rhina Perez became fans of TED Talks.
It was to no surprise to find that on social media sites the controlled exposure (forms 2 and 3) proves to be much more efficient than the Engagement Ads. According to Nielsen, brand awareness went up from a 2% from just a homepage ad, 8% with a social ad, and 13% in the newsfeed ads (Wauters, 2010). The results from the article allow the reader to conclude that in the online world, there exists a higher control to build brand recognition. As a result, the digital media has changed the contexts of marketing, but what are some of the problems that arise with having access to a highly controlled environment?
Tags: online advertising, social context, interactivity, facebook, social media, social networks, branding, brand, advertising, digital media
Article Title: The Open Secret
Article Source: http://www.research-live.com/magazine/the-open-secret/4004441.article
Article Author(s): Robert Bain, 2011
Reviewed by: Gabriela Rank
Abstract:
This article pays close attention as to how the Internet has brought new emerging issues regarding online privacy. Bain states that we cannot blame the privacy problems on either technological changes, or ineffective laws (Bain, 2011), but we should start blaming them on us the consumers, as we have allowed the concept of privacy to be eroded. As the Internet brings new possibilities, consumers have began to use the Internet as a way of sharing "unprecedented amounts of detail about their lives (Bain, 2011)." The article pays a special focus social networking sites like Facebook and Foursquare, as it is the most popular online activity, and also the one that has the biggest privacy breaches. Social networking sites encourage their users to forget about privacy concerns, giving researches valuable insights as to how to reach a certain target audience more effectively.
As a response to this, different laws have been passed with the intention of protecting the consumer�s personal freedom, trying to limit the methods and also the amount of personal data being collected. However, the methods that have been currently applied in the offline world cannot be directly translated and implemented on the Internet, and one of the biggest issues is that there seems to be a form of ignorance or indifference from the consumers. As Sean Murphy states �those who were more worried did not behave much differently online from others.� Nonetheless, Murphy states that once consumers are aware of the value of their data, it might change the market�s course, as consumers may begin �to demand "a renegotiation of their relationships with online content providers, researchers and advertiser (Bain, 2011)" in exchange for their data.�
Tags: Technology, Privacy, social networks, media, advertising, market research, online, legal issues, new businesses, insights
Article Title:10 Reasons why brands fail on Twitter/Social Media
Article Source: Daily Blogger ( http://www.dailybloggr.com/2009/06/10-reasons-why-brands-fail-at-twitter/ )
Article Author: Mani Karthik
Reviewed by: Rebecca Rodrigues
Abstract:
Mani Karthik lists his top 10 reasons why a brand may find social media to be an unsuccessful marketing tool. Although Twitter is used as an example, these reasons can be applied to any online social media channels. The list consists of tips that most brands may follow (such as being social, being fun, and providing followers with perks). However, the more interesting ones are the reasons most people would never think of (accepting mistakes, respond to questions and criticism). He includes tips that some people may not be aware of; for example: Reason #9, which urges users to not act as if they aren't bothered by a user's criticism or feedback. The tips aren't exclusive only to brands that have established themselves in the industry. In fact, these tips are most helpful to those who are struggling to gain popularity or build a fan base. Reason #2 describes why it is damaging to only discuss your product, and is especially important for any user who is trying to estabilish a name for themselves. Social media channels like Twitter or Facebook have a large following of people who are interested in receiving information and perks from their favourite brands. It can also provide an ample opportunity for other users who are trying to market their product, their company, or themselves. The article places an emphasis on the difference between branding in social media and traditional media, and urges brands to do the work that comes with the account.
Tags: Twitter, brand, advertising fail, Facebook, social media, daily blogger, effective marketing, branding, followers, advertising
Article Title: Sponsored Stories to Ad-ify Facebookers' Posts
Article Source: ECommerce Times 1/26/2011 http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/emarketing/71731.html
Article Author(s): Rob Spiegel
Reviewed by: Stephanie Lui
Abstract: This article�s main focus is to discuss the possible advantages and obstacles Facebook might experience if it continues to integrate advertising sponsors into their user profiles.The primary concern that the article proposes is the fear of users beginning to boycott Facebook due to the excessive amount of advertisements that will be exposed to them while browsing through user profiles. The new advertising platform that is proposed by Facebook is known as the �Sponsored Stories�. The �Sponsored Stories� advertisements will be injected on the right side of the user�s news feed homepage. The content of these advertisements are based on a user�s �likes�, pages, statuses, check-ins and applications. They gather this kind of information from the user�s profile and generate advertisements that relate to the user themselves. Thus, �Sponsored Stories� are basically promoted posts that users would see on their homepage. However, the article suggests that precisely because these posts are still advertisements, users may feel overwhelmed by the overload of information brought upon them and become annoyed by these ads. However, on the other hand, �Sponsored Stories� proposes an advantage for advertisers because it makes word of mouth marketing easier to be executed. Advertisers can now gain access to and predict the users� interests and promote their products in such a way that caters to these potential consumers (the users). The article states that this Facebook advertising technique might be effective right now, but suggests that issues may soon rise. Users will be annoyed by the advertisements because they might be taking up too much space on their homepage, and users might also begin to question the advantages they are gaining from recommending other users to advertisers. This will cause problems because the users themselves are on one hand recommending other users to advertisers, but the only two groups that are actually making a monetary profit are Facebook and the advertisers themselves. Hence, the article is implying that this new �Sponsored Stories� advertising format that Facebook introduced can either turn out to be very effective, or it can raise severe issues and discontent.
Tags: Facebook, Sponsored Stories,Article Title: Twitter Gets Into E-Commerce
Article Source: NY Times http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/twitter-gets-into-e-commerce/
Article Author(s): Claire Cain Miller
Reviewed by: Stephanie Lui
This article talks about Twitter, being a popular social media technology at the moment, expanding into E-commerce and online advertising. Twitter has officially launched their product selling E-commerce strategy, announcing the beginning of the Earlybird Exclusive Offers, which will be time-sensitive discount deals on certain products and events that will show up on the Earlybird Twitter account. Users can then follow the Earlybird Twitter account and keep track on the discounts that are being offered. The idea of using the Earlybird Twitter account E-commerce strategy derives from private, limited time sales websites such as Gilt, Groupon and Woot. These sites all belong to the emerging online shopping trend, and Twitter also takes advantages of engaging in online advertising because companies such as Dell contributes millions of dollars in sales to posting discount deals on Twitter. The deals that are posted on the Earlybird Twitter account includes a broad range of products such as diapers, iPods, iPhones, , or events such as a concert or travel packages. Twitter also initiated a hint that it will be able to filter these deals based on categorization, such as apparel and gadgets in the near future. Twitter also stressed on the fact that in the future developments of this E-Commerce strategy, it will be selective about which deals and discounts will be offered and make them interesting and valuable to the individual user. The retailers hold the responsibility of setting the prices of the items and how many of these items will be available. Twitter in return earns a profit from these sales, and to them it is a way of experimenting with different forms of e-commerce. Twitter used a new e-commerce approach compared to last year, where they would offer possible transactions based on what the Twitter users follow and what they tweet about. The article ends with discussing the possible future directions of the Earlybird e-commerce approach if it becomes successful.
Article Title: Essential Mobile Marketing Resources
Article Source: TopRank
Article Author: Lee Odden
Reviewed by: Rebecca Rodrigues
Abstract:
Essential Mobile Marketing Resources is an article published on January 31, 2011 and written by Lee Odden who writes for the Online Marketing Blog. The entire article contains interesting links to blogs, sites and forums that are rich in mobile marketing content. It starts out by discussing the large part that mobile phones play in our daily interaction with technology in terms of social networks, calls and texts. Many users foresee the future of marketing and ecommerce on the screens of mobile devices. It cites a prediction that mobile ecommerce is predicted to increase 65% annually by 2015. And although that's four years away, we can already see technology adapt to the way of the smart phone. The article makes a prediction of its own: 2011 may finally prove to be the breakout year for mobile marketing and mobile commerce. The author covers interesting techniques of mobile marketing such as proximity marketing, which is something users have been hearing about more and more recently. Mobile coupons will be distributed via Bluetooth to users who are near a particular retailer. This technology is important, because social networks and retailers will be teaming up in the future to provide users who 'like' a particular retailer, and 'check in' to a particular location to gain perks in the form of coupons. The article is rich in links to various other destinations to aid users who would like to educate themselves further; for example, Mobile Marketing Watch, which is a collection of news on mobile space. There is also an embedded presentation that provides statistics and a breakdown of the usefulness of QR codes. Finally, the author suggests a book on Mobile Marketing which is essential for building a foundation in mobile marketing as part of an online marketing mix.
Tags: marketing, ecommerce, mobile marketing, smart phones, proximity, social networks, applications, online marketing, technology.
Article Title: Top 10 Advertising Trends of The Decade
Article Source: Sramana Mitra
Article Author(s): Sramana Mitra, 2011
Reviewed by: Lucas Buzanic
Abstract:
This blog article is about the top 10 advertising trends and the shift that will occur in the next ten years. At the moment online advertising is at $55 billion and mobile advertising is at $2 billion, mobile advertising is said to gain momentum with the rise of Asia, Latin America and Africa's economy. Number one on the list for advertising trends is Paid Search Advertising, which has been dominated by Google. Paid Search is when website owners, pay for their websites to appear in the top list of a search through keywords that are bought. Secondly, there is Organic Search advertising, which is the random ads that appear as search results when going using search engines. Display Advertising and Vertical Ad Networks have been placed third as they are the ads that contain text, pictures, logos and so forth that are displayed in many of the popular websites seen today. The fourth top trend is Social Media Advertising. Facebook, Twitter and other top social networking websites have a lot of information on users, but are still figuring out a way of how to use this information for advertisers without being intrusive. In-game Advertising and Advertising apps and games are fifth and sixth on the trend list. Advertisers have realized rather than putting their money into prime time ads for 30 seconds, they could put their ads in games and in apps on people's mobile phones which they will be looking at for much longer than the 30 seconds on TV. Interactive Infomercials are seventh on the list, as they require people to call and show an interest, the internet has copied these ads through vertical ads and so on to accomplish the same effect. Video and Mobile advertising are lower on the list at eight and nine, but are becoming viral, Youtube has dominated video advertising and Mobile advertising is growing as the "rise of the mobile web" is approaching. The cell phone market is expanding in markets like Brazil to Indonesia and is going to grow very rapidly over the next few years as there is expected to be five billion users on the web in 2020.
Tags: top 10, advertising, advertising trends, mobile, social media, paid search, network.
Article Title: The Pros of Online Music Advertising
Article Source: Million Media Wordpress
Article Author(s): MJ Digital, 2007
Reviewed by: Lucas Buzanic
Abstract:
Online advertising for music is not understood. Tags such as music, tour, download do not promote any artist in particular, not all fans know the label that the artist is signed under and people do not click on anything unless they were searching for it in the first place, making it a waste of time to begin with. Though many feel that it is effective, the tags should be more relevant towards the music and what people would be searching for in those tags. This article explains the options that Google Ad Words, Facebook Ads, BlogAds, and AdBrite offer to make online advertising easier. As Google is the "undisputed leader" of online advertising, it is very simple to set up ad words with an account and begin advertising through keywords, websites, phrases and so on that you gain complete control of. The user chooses Maximum Spend or Cost-Per-Click and then everything is done. Facebook ads are easy to create, can involve pictures or images and give the opportunity to connect with the 44 million subscribers across the globe and allows the user to filter age, gender, geographics and much more. BlogAds is well known by many Artists and Labels around the world and is increasingly growing a reputation for themselves. AdBrite is the alternative to most of the advertising networks, they are "flexible, have no frills and are easy to use". With AdBrite it takes about 15 minutes to build an advertising campaign and it offers all the same options as any other advertising network does. Over all advertising online is not as difficult to do as people deem it to be, it could take as little as 15 minutes to have an ad set up for yourself at very low to no cost. Though it requires drive and effort, the tools are there for people to utilize.
Tags: Online Advertising, Google Ad Words, Facebook Ads, BlogAds, AdBrite, keywords.
Article Title: ADVERTISING AGENCIES AS CULTURAL INTERMEDIARIES � Linking Corporations to Culture [Chapter 8, p.135-136]
Article Source: Turow, Joseph, and Matthew P. McAllister. The advertising and consumer culture reader. New York: Routledge, 2009. Print.
Article Author(s): Aidan Kelly, Katrina Lawlor & Stephanie O�Donohoe
Reviewed by: Yan Chi Jennifer Li
Abstract:
Kelly, Lawlor and O�Donohoe describes the culture of advertising agencies, labeling the role of advertisers as �cultural intermediaries�. The name cultural intermediaries defines them as mediators, the middle-men, those who translate cultural trends given their understanding in society - seeing as they are often influenced by marketing research when creating advertisements. This means that cultural intermediaries as a group provides a critical link between corporations and the world of culture. Thus, cultural knowledge is the central element to the production of advertising and the meanings they emulate. Advertising creative�s incorporate everyday life into advertisements through their observations of the social world, and then incorporate these observations into symbols of mass consumption by applying them into consumer goods. This means ad creators, or cultural intermediaries, hold a kind of ideological power within our consumer culture. This can be portrayed through Foucault�s panopticon � through observation we are able to penetrate through human behavior and exercise power and control. Just as the organization of the panopticon, advertising agencies operate as a central power and observation within culture and society, which is made possible through consumer research knowledge. However, ad agencies are economically dependent on their business � so we see an asymmetrical power relation between ad agencies and corporate clients.
Tags: Advertising, market research, power of advertising agencies and their role in society, relationship between ad creators and consumers, advertising encoding.
Article Title: TOP 7 TRENDS IN ONLINE AD DESIGN
Article Source: < http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/top-trends-online-ad-design >.
Article Author(s): Heather Conary
Reviewed by: Yan Chi Jennifer Li
Abstract:
As the title suggests, the selected article entails the top seven trends used in online ad design. Today, online advertising has become a potentially lucrative option for many companies. �A study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers calculated that advertising revenue in the United States increased by $1.3 billion dollars to an astounding $7.3 billion in 2003.� This creates a competitive market virtually in the online space. Hence, it is important to familiarize with effective advertising trends online in order to be at an advantage for effective marketing. The seven trends Conary focuses on are shapes, colors, imagery, deals, interactivity, sizes and layouts and fonts. Firstly, all ads usually feature some kind of shapes and curves. Conary uses big name companies as examples: Weightwatchers utilizes organic shapes such as circles and arcs to appeal to target audiences. Whereas before there is more of the use of hard-edged and rigid shapes, the trend recently observed has changed to use more �softer�, comforting and more appealing forms. Trend number two involves colors, where the vast color combination of orange and blue used in online ads can be noticed. Thirdly, Conary describes how popular online ads have started using images of �customers� in their web design e.g. happy children playing. Trend number four � deals � portrays the popular trend of seasonal and sales advertising in response to the market status of the product. Interactivity is trend five. This shows the emergence of a new type of online ad with the help of Macromedia flash. When browsing the Web, it�s hard to miss the interactive banner ads. Trend six describes the most common and most-used ad size used in online ad design. This ranges from 468X60 pixels to 120X600 pixels, depending on shape and type of ad. Lastly, the most popularly used font is now sans-serif.
While all these trends afore-mentioned seem natural and obvious, they are subtle in their effectiveness. They are not obvious to the eye or to everyone as people usually see just the big picture - it is these small trends that make up the bigger picture. I understand that since the article was published in 2004, some of these trends are no longer relevant, e.g. the color schemes. However, the elements of these trends are very much sill significant.
Tags: online advertisements, online ad designs, trends.
Article Title: Selling the Suburbs: Exploring Representations of Social Diversity in Marketing Media in Markham, Ontario
Article Source: http://suburbs.planning.dal.ca/Docs/KPerrott_SellingSuburbs.pdf
Article Author(s): Katherine Perrott
Reviewed by: Paul Trzcinko
Abstract:
This article is written in December 2007 and explains how the media is a driving force for establishing and maintaining commodity-dependent communities through imagery in advertising. In the age of suburbia, the outdoor scene has become covered in billboards and sales centres promoting new residential developments. The article explains that farms are being converted into suburbs, and developers and builders begin to shape the look and feel of their future community through marketing material. Advertisements for new residential developments function as a prologue in the story of what that future community will be like: they show pictures of who will live there, what they will own, what their houses will look like and what the overall quality of life will be. Builders� advertising plays a significant role in attracting residents to new areas and constructing the character of a new community. New residential developments are packaged in cultural ideologies and sold as commodities. Social messages are imbedded within advertisements and act as a representation of reality. Realities are constructed through advertisements and portray the community ideals the planner envisioned. The marketing themes being used in Markham�s suburban media are: house design and construction, family, home and community, recreation, neighbourhood design and location, exclusivity and prestige, nature and environment, and nostalgia for the past. These themes are projected as ideals, and entice the viewers to accept and conform to the ideals presented in order to receive the implied corresponding lifestyle and attitude. Suburban advertisements cultivate a social landscape through media, and are representations that do not convey meaning on their own or reflect reality. This article goes over the step-by-step process of how media uses advertising to entice people to buy houses then continues selling more commodities after people move in.
Tags: Selling suburbs, Media, Marketing, Advertisements, Social planning, Markham, Ontario.
Article Title: The Dominant Advertising Media of the Future: Will the Mobile Phone Rule the Ad Media World?
Article Source: http://www.suite101.com/content/advertisings-dominant-media-of-the-future-a108295
Article Author(s): Carroll Trosclair
Reviewed by: Paul Trzcinko
Abstract:
This article is written in April 2009 and explains how the advertising industry is searching for a new medium to maximize return on investment. There is a large number of companies and studies promising new technology but the mobile phone is the latest competitor in the race for media dominance. Mobile technology has captured the imagination and attention of young people which is a largely desired target audience, and is a prime motivator for 39% of American adults. The article explains how heavy reliance and abundance of cell-phones makes them a perfect catalyst for marketing, and although 39% of American adults aren�t motivated by them, they are motivated by the internet and the integration of the internet with cell-phones makes it an advertiser�s dream medium. Advertisers require a tool for delivering their messages, and the cell-phone is ideal for establishing an interpersonal connection between the advertisement and the recipient.
Tags: Advertising, Media, Mobile phone, Cell phone, Mobility, Future.
Article Title: Search Algorithm Changes: How Websites Can Survive the Latest Google Crunch
Article Source: CMS Wire __http://www.cmswire.com/cms/web-engagement/search-algorithm-changes-how-websites-can-survive-the-latest-google-crunch-010363.php__
Article Author: J. Angelo Racoma
Reviewed by: Elisa Reale
Abstract:
Recently Google has made one of the biggest changes to its search algorithm (affecting 12% of searches) to solve for low quality search results, specifically websites that copy content or lack original content. Google has even created a Chrome browser extension where users can block unwanted searches. Consequences of this algorithm change are affecting more than the intended �content farms� which has sparked anger and controversy from many web masters, bloggers and website owners who�s rankings have been negatively affected since the change.
Some tips offered for maintaining high traffic levels with this new algorithm include building on the direct and referral portion of traffic rather than search-based traffic by providing email newsletters, memberships or subscriptions. It�s also important to focus on writing content for people and not search bots. Being critical of websites to link to is also important as the new algorithm not only evaluates content of the website alone, but also content of websites it is linked to. Simply being linked to a bad website can place a website on a badware list.
This is a relevant source in the field of online advertising as these algorithm changes have direct effects on how optimizers, content aggregators and content farmers go about generating high rankings and traffic. In an industry which is constantly under renovation, it is crucial to stay current with these trends.
Tags: Google, SEO, web content, search, web engagement, web optimization
Article Title: Viral Marketing for the Rest of Us
Article Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/onlinemarketing/article205232.html
Article Author(s): Adam Boyden, Entrepreneur Magazine
Reviewed by: Neeta Ramsaroop
Abstract:
The internet is the new wave of technology for the past decade and has allowed many businesses to flourish as well as individuals. It uses social networks to act as word of mouth marketing and allow for brands to be discovered and explored. Viral online marketing is not like physical marketing, which involves a large budget, but rather more creativity and creating a fan base which will support a company; therefore social networks to do much of the work for the company. This allows businesses of all sizes to flourish as it is democratic in nature and therefore access to the content is equal. Small businesses can use this to gain exposure and compete with larger businesses. Since online marketing is relatively cheap this should allow for a level playing field for companies of all sizes. Online marketing involve evoking emotions from potential clientele, the most successful viral campaigns are currently interactive flash games, videos and images. These campaigns should be easy to understand in order to capture the audience, and use online mediums to target specific customers (for example Twitter and Facebook) and have incentives such as giveaway�s and contests that would encourage engagement. Online marketing goals are to pass information from person to person, therefore the offer must be worth sharing, and businesses must know their customer and strike interest in their needs/wants. Businesses must track the successfulness of their campaign to �tweak� imperfections and have measurable millstones� (e.g. 6 -9 months). Thus, small businesses have a fair opportunity to gain exposure if they can capture an audience and encourage them to share their company from person to person and can constantly change their campaign to better suit their market.
Tags: viral marketing campaign, engagement, small companies, budget, word-of-mouth, Entrepreneur Magazine
Article Title: Five Key Ingredients of Lasting Brands
Article Source: Entrepreneur
Article Author: Gail Goodman
Reviewed by: Elisa Reale
Abstract:
Creating a strong and lasting brand amongst various outlets of online advertising presents more challenges compared with regular print advertising. This article provides guidelines of how to maintain a positive brand reputation while marketing through social media. First maintaining a consistent style through all images, logos and writing is crucial for better brand recognition amongst various advertisements. This style should also resonate with any off line advertising. Branding style should also be shared amongst everyone who represents the brand, including employees posting on the company�s behalf online. Consistent branding can become problematic when employees� personal accounts or profiles become mixed with the brand�s reputation. Also the correct volume and combination of advertisements throughout various social mediums must also be considered so that the brand is well represented in all areas where the company�s customers are. Lastly, a unique aspect to online advertising is that brand reputation will not only derive from the company itself, but will also be based on feedback available from actual consumers through customer review websites and blogs. Companies must be able to monitor and control for any negative feedback potentially affecting the brand.
This article addresses the importance to recognize new issues in maintaining a lasting brand when advertising in interactive social media. As new forms of online advertising becomes available it is important to understand new challenges it might also bring. While it is a great to be more connected with customers, it is important to keep a consistent and professional reputation online that matches the offline brand.
Tags: branding, social media, online marketing, online campaigns
Article Title: How Facebook Can Become a Money Making Machine
Article Source: http://mashable.com/2010/01/29/monetizing-facebook/
Article Author(s): Dallas Lawrence, Mashable
Reviewed by: Neeta Ramsaroop
Abstract:
Social networks have become increasingly accessible and part of everyday life and routine, they no longer carry the negative stigma of slacker or underachiever rather a cultural norm. The goal is to �monetize� these platforms, this article analyses Facebook�s marketing and how to make money when customers expect �something for nothing�. On average account holders of online social platforms are on for at least �55 minutes� at day, the goal is to advertise to the users without them being fully aware (e.g. what a friend bought, Facebook gifts sponsors). In order to gain revenue Facebook must understand the branding value of connections, which is what their website, is based on connecting people to friends, family etc; because of this it could change the way users consume. Facebook allows your friends to see what you are buying as well as selling which creates a heard effect and allow for new trends to be marketed via updates from people you know. The item purchased could entice others to buy it and it would be as easy as a click. Facebook can take a share of successful sales as revenue. Facebook has tried to make items (e.g. Gifts) to sell but users are reluctant to buy things when they are directly advertised to and have no tangibility, however when disguised in other mediums such as a game they are more willing.
Tags: Facebook, consumer, e-commerce, direct marketing, indirect marketing, social media, Mashable
Article Title: The How-To Guide For Facebook Advertising
Article Source: http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/digital-marketing/facebook-advertising-guide/Article Author(s): Jason Falls and Anthony Piwarun
Reviewed by: Gabriella Yangyi Guo
Abstract:
This article presents you five easy steps on how to launch a Facebook Advertising campaign. First, you need to identify your goals. It may be to increase sales or to expand your viewership. As long as you can come up with some forms of measurable objectives, you are on a great start. Second, get ready to design and develop the ad. The ad image is extremely important. Viewers likely get the most information about your product from the imagery instead of the text. You are recommended to include a headshot of a person to attract more eyeballs. When it comes to the landing page, connecting your viewers to an external, campaign specific page might be the best practice. The next step is to target your audience. You might want to find out which specific demographic is mostly interested your product. Consider how factors such as age, sex and location can help your pinpoint your target segment. Forth, define cost structure. You can either choose to pay cost per click (CPC) or cost per impression (CPI). CPI might be most helpful if you simply want to expose your brand to a wider audience. On the other hand, CPC might be the best choice if you want specific returns on investment. Finally, you should launch the ad campaign, measure the results and tweak your design and repeat the process. It is crucial for you to learn what works and what not and to continuously improve on your campaign.
Tags: online advertising, facebook, campaign, cost per click, cost per impression
Article Title:: How do I find an article? Proper Design of webpages
Article Source: Journal Article,http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W50-45WFVFN-7&_user=10&_coverDate=06%2F30%2F2002&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1708366953&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=b512ac85660cbb4b768bf62865584dea&searchtype=a
Article Author(s): Barbara J. Cockrell, Elaine Anderson Jayne
Reviewed by: John Rego
This Article talks about how to impove website designs that increases usiblilty. While the article contains little that is novel, the lessons it teaches have not reached widely enough: there are all too many web sites that are a continual source of frustration and stress to users. (the paper begins by explaining why she chose to write a printed book on web design: for comprehensive, sustained arguments online reading is not yet as effective as print. Another consideration is that, going by the utter un-usability of so many corporate web sites, there must be many web site managers who don't actually use the web: some of these might read a printed volume.)
At the core of this article is , and two thirds of it by page-count are content, and site design. The first covers cross-platform design, the importance of minimising response times, how to use links effectively, and the advantages and disadvantages of style-sheets and frames. The second covers writing for the web, micro-content (titles, headlines and so forth), and multimedia content (images, animation, audio, and video). The last covers navigation, home pages ("splash screens must die"), search support, and "URL design". Other sections cover special usability issues with intranets, accessibility for users with disabilities, and internationalisation and localisation; in a final part Jayne takes a stab at predicting the future of the Web.
Because this web usability study addresses underlying ideas rather than specific technologies, it will date far less rapidly than most books on web publishing. It doesn't contain as much as its four hundred pages would suggest, since a lot of space is used for screen shots of example web pages. (These are not, however, gratuitous, as is often the case with books on HTML.) Web publishing is very different to paper publishing, but this article is a high quality, usable resource.
Tags: web pages, Usibility, Norman, Internet
Article Title:: How do consumers search for and appraise information on the world wide web? Qualitative study using focus groups, usability tests, and in-depth interviews
Article Source: Journal Article, http://www.bmj.com/content/324/7337/573.abstract
Article Author(s): G Eysenbach
Reviewed by: John Rego
This paper provides an empirical characterization of user actions at the web browser. The study is based on an analysis of 4 months of logged client-side data that describes user actions with recent versions of Netscape Navigator. In particular, the logged data allow us to determine the title, URL and time of each page visit, how often they visited each page, how long they spent at each page, the growth and content of bookmark collections, as well as a variety of other aspects of user interaction with the web. The results update and extend prior empirical characterizations of web use. Among the results show that web page revisitation is a much more prevalent activity than previously reported (approximately 81% of pages have been previously visited by the user), that most pages are visited for a surprisingly short period of time, that users maintain large (and possibly overwhelming) bookmark collections, and that there is a marked lack of commonality in the pages visited by different users. These results have implications for a wide range of web-based tools including the interface features provided by web browsers, the design of caching proxy servers, and the design of efficient web sites.
Keywords: social media, web use; WWW, navigation; revisitation
Article Title: The Future Investment in Social Media
Article Source: Social Media Blog, http://www.ithinkmedia.co.uk/blog/social-media/future-investment-social-media///
Article Author(s): David Cable
Reviewed by: Christina Theophylactou
Abstract: Cable's article on The Future Investment in Social Media deals with analyzing statistics from the Social Media and Online PR report to confront the issues some companies have with social media (Cable, 2010). The issues coincide with the difficulty in measuring a return on investment (ROI) with sites on the Internet. Proving to companies that Social Media (SM) will have an ROI was very difficult although Cable explains there are vast amounts of analytics that will precisely give that kind of information. He goes on to explain that 80% of companies use only Facebook and Twitter as their main form of SM having a decline on other forms such as podcasts, and social book marking (Cable, 2010). There is although an ever-growing location based approach to SM using applications, which allows the user to pinpoint their location at any given time thus promoting smaller company locations. In regards to ROI, Cable conducted some research and found that UK companies indulge very little in SM in comparison to the US and within the next year companies are expected to increase SM by 83% (according to companies surveyed) (Cable, 2010). Cable expresses his enthusiasm in more companies indulging in SM, although most keep no record of ROI�s thus leading him to believe they are not using it to maximize their businesses the way they should. Companies are not �connecting the dots� and observing which forms of SM are effective through their ROI�s, they just follow Facebook and Twitter trends. Cable explains the necessity of having a record of ROI in order to see what forms of SM are effective for each company. This will allow a company to come up with a creative social media strategy, which eventually leads to a large return on investment.
Tags: Return on Investment (ROI), Social Media (SM), Companies, Facebook, Twitter
Article Title: QR Codes Gaining Prominence Thanks to Few Big Players
Article Source: AdAge Digital, //http://adage.com/article/digital/qr-codes-gaining-prominence-macy-s-buy-post/149474///
Article Author(s): Natalie Zmuda
Reviewed by: Christina Theophylactou
Abstract: This article explains the increasing experimentation of QR codes within company marketing campaigns. Large companies such as Best Buy, Macy�s, Home Depot, and Target are all beginning to explore various ways to use QR codes to provide more information to their consumers thus increasing profits. The only issues with codes are not everyone knows how to use or scan one to retrieve information. At this experimentation stage the consumer�s knowledge on how to operate the codes are essential in determining its effectiveness which is why Macy�s contribution in educating consumers has come a long way. Macy�s put in the most amount of effort in making their consumer aware of how to use these codes by posting instructions all over every store and filling all employees lanyards (over 100,000) with steps on how to use one (Zmuda, 2011). The first step Macy�s provided was to download ScanBuy, software used to take a picture of the code to retrieve information. By explaining how to use QR codes, QR code usage increased significantly within the span of a month. Best Buy followed Macy�s campaign and posted QR codes on most of their products for product knowledge. When a customer scans a code, Best Buy is aware of what items are more popular than others. They are also able to measure the usage of particular codes in the store. Overall this article explains QR code experimental steps companies have overcome to test the effectiveness of QR codes in their marketing campaigns. Companies understand it is hard to measure its ROI if consumers do not know how to use one, although with the help of Macy�s and other large companies the use of QR codes may increase vastly in the future.
Tags: QR Codes, Macy�s, experiment, Best Buy, scan, consumer
Article Title: 6 Social Media Strategies for your biz
Article Source: http://www.torontosun.com/blogs/techblog/2011/03/11/17581191.html
Article Author(s): Maryam Mehrtash, GetConnected
Reviewed by: Bethany Read
Abstract: This article provides six strategies to help businesses develop a social media strategy. The article identifies that social media tools provide many benefits for a company: increase traffic to website, generate exposure and buzz, develop reputation, and improve search ranking. The six strategies the article provides are to create and maintain a blog, create a Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Google Places account. Once the company has created a social media strategy the article provides three ideas to help further the strategy. The article suggests to offer discounts and promotions, train your staff (they can post information as well), and to promote each of your channels by including social media URL�s on the company�s business card.
Tags: Social Media, Business strategies
Article Title: Social Media and money: Will Twitter, Facebook change how we learn money management?
Article Source: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/social-media--and-money-117847878.html
Article Author(s): Joel Schlesinger
Reviewed by: Bethany Read
Abstract: Facebook and Twitter have estimated market values in the billions of dollars, yet only six percent use social media to get financial information. The poll, however, did have results suggesting that individuals under 30 are more inclined to use social media to get financial information. This new growing trend has led to many Canadian financial institutions creating Facebook pages and Twitter feeds. The article suggests that a lack of regulation for providing investment information on these platforms as one of the main reasons why financial institutions have a small impact on social media websites.
Tags: Social Media, Facebook, Twitter, Financial Institutions
Article Title: Is Social Advertising an Oxymoron?
Article Source: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2008/12/so-what-if-soci/Article Author(s): Frank Rose
Reviewed by: Gabriella Yangyi Guo
Abstract:
The article posits that advertising rarely thrives on Social Networking Sites, such as Facebook and YouTube. Statistics revealed the click through rate on social networking sites is lower than any other sites in general. In 2008, Youtube�s revenue (200 million) barely makes up only 1 percent of Google�s overall income. McConnell argues that it is unethical to advertise on consumer-generated content. There are several reasons why social advertising isn�t popular. First one being users might repulse against the idea that their personal conversations are constantly monitored and monetized. Second, major advertisers do not want to have their brands associated with armature, consumer-generated content like many videos on YouTube. They prefer to advertise on major media sites (e.g. Hulu) that show professional content. Finally, viral marketing on social networking sites can be extremely popular, but only when the ads look nothing like an ad and are free to show. Viral videos on YouTube have taken a form that disguise the brand, some times completely omit it, while putting the emphasis on authenticity as well as creativity. The author points out that these ads are more entertaining and less threatening than the ones you see on Facebook. They do not target a specific demographic. They are there for everyone to stumble across. The simplest economic solution to social media, as suggested by the author, may be donation.
Tags: social media, social networking site, social advertising, YouTube, Facebook, viral marketing
Article Title: Branching Out: Facebook pages and Facebook Advertising
Article Source: http://library.books24x7.com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/book/id_34678/viewer.asp?bookid=34678&chunkid=454544603
Article Author: Todd Kelsey
Reviewed by: Xuyang Bai
Abstract:
This article is from Todd Kelsey�s book �Social networking spaces: From Facebook to Twitter and Everything in Between� which analyses the Facebook pages and Facebook Ads from the aspects of online advertising industries and businesses. Facebook is an online network community which people can create pages about anything you want to promote from person to brand, or it can be used to publish news, announcements and ideas. It provides a platform for online advertisings which can be used to promote any organizations and businesses or anything else. �It is an ideal platform for spreading the word about anything from a garage sale to an international movie release, because of the social context.� (Kelsey) Facebook ads are paid ads and usually simple. They are mostly about products or websites. However, it may also advertise fro groups and organizations. In order to acquire the right to post ads on Facebook, you can pay a certain amount per thousand impressions (CPM), which means the number of people who see the ads or paying as cost per click (CPC). After that, you can calculate your return on investment (ROI). The Facebook advertising platform is easy to use and do not require online advertising professionals. There are opportunities to stay-at-home people looking for extra income and job seekers. The Facebook ads platform provides a way for individuals and people without advertising professions to get their feet into this business. People can approach businesses as freelancers, start creating a facebook page, running Facebook ads and then create revenue.
Tags: Facebook pages, Facebook advertising, ads platform, freelancers.
Article Title: Advertising Online: Engaging Consumers with Web 2.0
Article Source: Advertising 2.0: Social Media Marketing in a Web 2.0 World. Online book at: http://books.google.ca/books?id=ScdF1-vHvHwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=advertising+2.0+social+media+marketing+in+a+web+2.0+world+tracy+l.+tuten&source=bl&ots=2KLb5iSGPC&sig=HpcLHuLBFEp2cZQRmluGmMRunGE&hl=en&ei=mbyGTcGlBYLqgQfR6fW9CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
Article Author: Tracy L. Tuten
Reviewed by: Xuyang Bai
Abstract:
The dramatically development of online networks has brought great landscape to the advertising industries. While consumers moved their activities to internet, the industry has followed consumers online and open up new forms of advertising to relate to consumers in their virtual reality. After the online communities have moved to the age of web 2.0, the internet is more about the unlimited communications between each consumers and individuals behaviours rather than one way communication. The author argues that active brand engagement is required to be filled in advertisings in online world rather than one way communication of traditional advertisings, which have to be more about conversations, connections ahd shared control and less about passive consumption of packaged content rather than one way communication advertisings.So the social media marketing has also need to be moved into a new stage of advertising 2.0, a new modes of advertising for business to business and business to consumer organizations. This book introduces us the shifts through the emergence and appliacation of cosial networks in web 2.0 like virtual worlds, blogs, online communities and online games. And also highlights what companies need to do in order to build relationship with online customers in the new century.
Tags: Online advertising, Web 2.0, Advertising 2.0, Conversations, Connections, Shared control, Brand engagement.
Article Title: Effectiveness of online advertisement factors in recalling a product
Article Source: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6167/is_1_14/ai_n55040674/?tag=content;col1
Article Author(s): Ghasem Alijani, Louis Mancuso, Obyung Kwun, Adnan Omar
Reviewed by: Kalam Poon
Abstract:
Online advertising is more cost effective than traditional advertising; it increases efficiency and provides more flexibility. According to the journal, the promotion of online sales and advertising revenue in the US has grown from $8.23 billion to $12.5 billion in five years. One of the concerns of such rapid growth is privacy issue. Google and Yahoo are leaders in the search engine advertising market. Their search engine provides advertisers with access to affiliate networks. They provide geographical data from the consumer�s IP address. With the use of click through rates, there has been a rise in online frauds. In 2005, the fraudulent clicking cost the advertisers over $800 million.
A survey that ran over 5 months with over 3000 participants, discussed whether online advertisement had anything to do with their online purchasing. The findings revealed that three factors affected the customer�s decision: Product, Motivation, and Demographic. Participants agreed that the price of the product attract them the most when recalling an online advertisement. Motivation from embedded video, advergame and music also play a large role in helping the participants recall a product. Lastly, the survey showed that the most active group for online shopping are ages 25 to 34 and that females (two-thirds) are more likely to recall the product online.
Tags: online advertisement, growth, sales, CTR, online shopping
Article Title: Children as Consumers: Advertising and Marketing
Article Source: http://www.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/docs/18_01_09.pdf
Article Author(s): Sandra L. Calvert
Reviewed by: Kalam Poon
Abstract:
Advertisers have been targeting children for long period of time but studies show that the income of children and their influence on their parents have increased over time. There was an increase in the number of available television channels which lead to smaller audiences for each channel. Through the use of internet, advertisers can pave new paths to narrow cast to children since it is becoming increasingly difficult to target children in television. New marketing techniques utilize online marketing and stealth marketing through embedding products into films, online and video games.
The marketing strategies target children under the age of eight and the author believed that it is unethical because the children do not realized the persuasiveness of television due to the lack of cognitive skills. With new stealth marketing, not only does it undermine young children but even adolescents. Calvert discusses how the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communication Commission have implemented laws that restricted targeting children but the commission�s authority reside mostly over the air waves and not on the internet. The author then discusses how the new generation of children are being brought up with influences that will ultimately affect their behavior and personality.
Tags: children, kids, consumer, advertising, marketing
Article Title: Marketing's Most Important Metric
Article Source: http://www.ddb.com/ddblogs/strategy/marketings-most-important-metr.html#entrymore
Article Author(s): Jeff Swystun
Reviewed by: Arlene Lu
Chief Communications Officer, Jeff Swystun analyzes the current trends of social media and its ability to facilitate people-to-people connectivity, a crucial aspect that is a step up from the traditional people-to-brand connection. The people-to-people connection fulfills individual desires to be connected to others who share similar interests and values. However, Swystun predicts that in the future, consumers will be so overwhelmed with choices that stems from the increasing value of credibility of information from consumers who share the same values. Because of constant advancements in technology, namely web accessibility and social media, the consumer voice has become a powerful tool that continues to make branding a "democratic process" and, as Swystun suggests, the role of marketing/advertising is to make this choice easier for these consumers but this has not necessarily been the proven outcome. Social media has contributed to the complex decision-making process that consumers face in a society dominated by branding and retail competition.
The "metric" that Swystun refers to is the defense mode that consumers are likely to go into in the near future as a result of the overwhelming amount of product and branding information they are bombarded with. Consumers will learn to take an approach that allows them to filter out what they know they do not want to engage in. Ultimately, it is a way of countering the marketing and advertising objective of immersing consumers in branding information as much as possible.
Tags: Marketing, Advertising, Consumers, Branding, Social Media
Article Title: Online Video Marketing: Ten Ways You Can Use YouTube To Promote Your Online Content
Article Source: http://www.masternewmedia.org/online_marketing/youtube-promote-content-viral-marketing/youtube-video-marketing-10-ways-20070503.htm
Article Author(s): Robin Good
Reviewed by: Arlene Lu
Abstract: This article features valuable tips and tricks on how to use YouTube to its full advantage to promote. It begins with Robin Good talking about the success of his personal channel and how to create buzz surrounding your videos in order to gain subscribers. He mentions the benefits of having your videos reach external sites that lead to your channel, a way of attracting curious users. He also talks about the benefits of having a personal channel through which you can edit and cater to your needs, interests, and how you want your company to be portrayed.
Robin Good mentions the importance of narrowing topics in order to eliminate competition and create a strong focus and what you hope to promote. He also discusses the benefits of posting short clips that have the potential to go viral and create more buzz about your channel.
The importance of creating videos under 5 minutes is also a tip the Good suggests in order to maintain the interest of viewers, unless the video content is particularly interesting. Also, for guru channels, it is important to create videos that are uncommon or, even better, never done before.
Tagging is extremely important as Good suggests it is beneficial to try and find a less popular category that links to your video in order to eliminate competition.
Tags: YouTube, Online Media Marketing, Promoting
Article Title: Why $0.00 is the future of business
Article Source: http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free?currentPage=1
Article Author(s): Chris Anderson
Reviewed by: Siong Fu Eugene Lim
This article tries to demonstrate the effectiveness of $0.00, which is creating a free business model. By offering something for free, you can create a hook for a portion of the demographic that you couldn�t have obtained otherwise. An example is Hotmail providing a free email system. When Hotmail offered this, it was done with little strings attached, and most importantly it was free. All that was included was a little blurb at the bottom that said something along the lines of �This message was sent with Hotmail, visit hotmail.com for more information�. By attached a small bit of text at the bottom, they pointed people towards Hotmail.com. In fact many claim that this is the first instance of �viral marketing� before people even knew what vial marketing was.
Part 2 of the $0.00 marketing is what to do after people are using your service by using a concept called a loss leader. Much like how Walmart sells a microwave for $20 (a clear lost), they have lured you into their store, and websites can do the same. Free services like webmail is the loss leader which makes you step into the online companies� other services. Now that you are using Hotmail/Google/Yahoo, you unwittingly open yourself up to other products like Bing/Google Search/Yahoo Search and their other services.
The article also into showing how this zero dollar marketing is spreading into real life, like how Artist share their music free before they go on tour to get attention. Those that don�t follow this new business model are going to get left behind when �Free� becomes commonplace.
Tags: Business models, Online Marketing
Article Title: Its Modern Trade: Web Users Get as Much as They Give
Article Source: http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free?currentPage=1
Article Author(s): Jim Harper
Reviewed by: Siong Fu Eugene Lim
This article is about cookies, targeting advertisements and privacy, with a �so what� attitude around it. The main argument is you get what you give. Cookies do track your interest, sites you been to and attempts to guess your age, gender, income, family status and so on. But so what? You may give certain information up, but in return you gain more customizable and relevant advertising. If cookies were heavily regulated at the start of the internet, then Google wouldn�t have been the search engine giant that it is today. Google would have struggled to be a mediocre search engine and not be able to create many free services that it has today. It defended that it is highly unlikely that websites that store private information would sell it, as it would undercut into its marketing business and into its own profitability. If cookies and other tracking methods were to be an �Opt In feature� rather than an �Opt out�, then people wouldn�t participate in this, which will lead to many free features of the internet to have not been created because of incentives from advertising. Not just big companies like Google/Yahoo/Microsoft, but other smaller websites and bloggers would less likely create content for people to use.
Tags: Privacy, Cookies, Advertising
Article Title: Create Stunning HTML Email That Just Works!
Article Source: http://www.sitepoint.com/books/htmlemail1/ (sample pdf, covers first chapter)
Article Author: Matthew Patterson
Reviewed By: Adam Erwood
Creating an HTML newsletter for a company is easier said than done. In his article, 'Create Stunning HTML That Just Works' , Matthew Pattern discusses how to plan, implement, and evaluate an email marketing campaign in great deal. Matthew believes that a successful html newsletter should look just as good if viewed as plain text, and so his first exercise is to create a plain text email newsletter. Through a series of exercises and examples readers are given the opportunity to learn and practice the html code required for email newsletters. The design of email newsletters is also discussed.
Matthew Patterson's article is a must-read for anyone designing email newsletters for clients. The detailed description of HTML code appropriate for email will save designers many headaches, and if Matthew's best practices are followed your email newsletters have a much better chance of skipping the spam folder.
Tags: newsletter, marketing, HTML, email, spam, design, advertising
Article Title: How to Make the Most of Google AdWords
Article Source: http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/adwords-select-parts-1-4
Article Author: Derek Vaughan
Reviewed by: Adam Erwood
This five part article by Derek Vaughan introduces readers to Google AdWords and provides tutorials on how to make the most of your AdWords campaign. Derek begins his article with the most important part of a Google AdWords campaign, building a list of keywords. Derek provides a number of strategies for building your keyword list, and refers to other software. In general keywords should be specific and relevant.
Google AdWords doesn't provide marketers with much room for creativity, so marketers must consider how their advert can be distinguished from others. Derek explains each part of an AdWords ad; the title, description, and link. Derek explains the title can be optimized by including the most popular search phrase inside of it. Descriptions and links must also be relevant. Derek suggests trying a few different strategies and messages, and seeing with one works best with your target audience.
Derek concludes his article with tips on how to decrease the amount of money you will have to pay for AdwWords by removing popular keywords such as "free" and "software", and by having a creative bidding strategy. The only thing left to do is track the results of the campaign, and make changes to the campaign if need be.
Derek Vaughan's AdWords strategies can save companies money while increasing their visibility in Google and associated pages.
Tags: Google, AdWords, marketing, seo, online, advertisiment, search engine optimization, keywords, bidding
Article Title: Beware of Social Media Marketing Myths
Article Source: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2009/tc20090522_078978.htm
Article Author(s): Gene Marks
Reviewed by: Synthia Truong
Abstract:
This article discusses five social marketing myths. These myths are tips for small businesses. The first myth is that social media sites are free, in which this is true to an extent. The hidden cost is time - time to respond to customer questions, to monitor any activity, or to do anything that will create a constant flow of activity. The second myth is that social media sites are a great place to find new customers. The article mentions how most avid users on Facebook and Myspace are adolescents or teenagers. Small businesses benefit more if they start with social networking sites designated for businesses. The third myth is the idea that you need to be on all the big sites. Businesses should pick a few and start creating leads on those. The fourth myth is that social networking sites are for marketing. The article discusses that it�s for service � to provide customer service. The last myth is that social networking is the future. There have been declines in uses of some of the networking sites so businesses should not waste efforts in investing all their time with social networking sites.
Tags: social media, social networking, marketing, myth, small business
Article Title: Marketing to Teens Online
Article Source: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2007/tc2007117_522831.htm
Article Author(s): Anastasia Goodstein
Reviewed by: Synthia Truong
Abstract:
This article touches on how to market to teenagers online. Goodstein mentions two key factors in targeting teens through online advertising. The first called �The Lying Game�. Goodstein discusses how teenagers and adolescents use lying to discover different identities and to join the �cool� sites. As well, children lie to weed out child predators, in which some cases their parent encourage them to do so. But, if teens are lying about their personal information, behavioural target ads will not be successful in their target market. The second factor is control. Teens do not like pop-up ads or spam, even through text messaging. Goodstein explains that allowing teens control over what ads they prefer, respect given to service and advertisers will be positive. The article summarizes that online advertisers need to be transparent to teens about their advertising. They need to engage teens to find what kind ads teens would like to see and reward them so that they keep coming back.
Tags: online marketing, teens, advertising
Article Title: Revisit Your Marketing Plan
Article Source: American Agent & Broker [St. Louis], vol.83, no.3, pp.46,48, 2011
http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2011/03/01/revisit-your-marketing-plan
Article Author(s): Jerry Thompson
Reviewed by: Zinan (Lisa) Wang
Abstract:
Thompson suggests that spring should signal a time to re-examine and re-animate insurance companies� marketing campaign to see what aspects are working and what aren�t. Most of us are accustomed to online shopping for clothes and shoes but this article interestingly found that 61 percent of all insurance shopping starts online. He starts off by talking about insurance companies� websites being the public face of a business. Customers nowadays are not only internet-savvy, but are perfectly comfortable with shopping for insurance online. Thompson notes that the most important things about an insurance company�s web site are its navigation and accuracy. His advice is that if you can�t keep your websites up-to-date; don�t even bother starting one in the first place.
Another tool he recommended for online marketing for insurance companies are social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Again, Thompson stresses on the importance of accuracy of the information provided on these sites. Thompson argues that internet leads are the most cost-effective way to market online because it�s easy to control volume, costs and risk types and companies don�t need a large marketing department to generate the tasks. However, Thompson advises that companies must be very careful when searching for an Internet leads company because there are many scam artists out there and only committed companies should use them. To summarize, tuning up companies� marketing campaign can result in significant business increase therefore it is worth the time and effort to construct an effective online marketing campaign.
Tags: web sites, viral marketing, insurance industry, social networking sites, online insurance
Article Title: The Estee Lauder Companies� Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Announces Unprecedented Online Marketing Campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Article Source: Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week [Atlanta], Oct 18, 2008
http://www.pr-inside.com/the-estee-lauder-companies-breast-cancer-r834969.htm
Article Author(s): Jennifer Mann
Reviewed by: Zinan (Lisa) Wang
Abstract:
This journal articles talks about Estee Lauder�s partnership with leading media companies and web destinations to connect with younger audiences to heighten the awareness and education on breast cancer. The digital effort partners with highly trafficked social media and social networking websites such as Yahoo, TotalBeauty.com, BeautyBlogNetwork, etc� Their goal is to expand their Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign (BCA)�s word-of-mouth message and provide individuals with a platform to share inspirational stories of survivorship. The reason why Estee Lauder has decided to partner with social media sites is because they want to reach younger women since every year younger and younger women are being diagnosed with breast cancer.
One part of the campaign includes a viral user-generated content based campaign themed �share a survivor story, inspire the world.� With the social media company Brickfish. It is a contest where individuals will share personal stories, users can then vote on these stories and prizes will be awarded for iconic survivorship stories. BCA message will also be spread on MySpace, Facebook and several other social networks through applications such as SuperPoke, TopFriends, etc� Sweepstakes and educational contents will also be shared on TotalBeauty.com (the largest online unbiased catalog of beauty products for women). To summarize, Estee Lauder is one of the world�s leading manufacturers and marketers of skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products and it�s effectively using the internet to target younger women and raise awareness in breast cancer.
Tags: media companies, social networking websites, Estee Lauder, Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign
Article Title: Attacks by “Anonymous” WikiLeaks Proponents not Anonymous
Article Source: http://doc.utwente.nl/75331/1/2010-12-CTIT-TR.pdf
Article Author(s): Aiko Pras, Anna Sperotto, Giovane C. M. Moura, Idilio Drago, Rafael Barbosa, Ramin Sadre, Ricardo Schmidt and Rick Hofstede
Reviewed by: Wilfred Tang
Abstract: The article gives a brief introduction to the hacktivist group ‘Anonymous’ defined by their actions during the release of CableGate by Wikileaks. The group ‘Anonymous’ conducted a series of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against companies that froze Wikileaks’ assets. They DDoS attacked MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, PostFinance, Moneybrookers.com, and Amazon.com websites. The article argues the lack of anonymity despite the group calling itself ‘Anonymous’, arguing that the tool most used to perform DDoS attacks do not secure the users anonymity. The tool for DDoS attacking websites is the Low Orbit Ion Cannon (LOIC). It sends packets in order to flood the internet communications protocols of the server. This essentially shuts down the site or slows it down to a crawl. It describes the most prominent update of the tool, and its ability for remote access in order to avoid and counter litigations. Further evolutions of the tool include the web-based version that runs off the browser allowing for easier access. The article goes into the basic mechanics of how the tool functions, both the program version and the browser version. It demonstrates existing loopholes within the current legal frame work to adapt to these new methodologies of attack. It critiques the current tool as insufficient in keeping anonymity and subtly offers methods of countering trace backs.
Tags: Hacktivism, Wikileaks, Anonymous, LOIC, DDoS
Article Title: Mobile Ad Companies Are Drooling Over A Future Of "Connected TV" Apps -- And Ads
Article Source: (Title and reference information) http://www.businessinsider.com/mobile-ads-connected-tvs-2011-3
Article Author(s): Dan Frommer
Reviewed by: (your name): Camille Ramsingh
Abstract: (250 words or so, summarizing main points)
Tags: (categorize) Mobile, Gadgets, Apple, Media, Big Tech, Google, Mobile Ads, Apple TV, Google TV, PS3, Xbox 360, Advertising, Death Of TV, Serious
Mobile ad companies have been pushing on cellphone ads for half a decade, and over the past year, have started to tap into tablets like Apple's iPad.
But these mobile-focused companies are also starting to get excited about serving another device in the near future, even though it isn't a mobile gadget at all: The Internet-connected TV in your living room.
As millions of people hook up their videogame consoles to the Internetfor network gaming and Netflix streaming, add new devices to their living rooms like Apple TV or Roku boxes, and as more TVs themselves ship with Internet access and apps, the potential for advertising on these devices is increasing.
So mobile ad companies are tinkering. Specifically, we've heard:
- At least one big mobile ad network is experimenting with ads for Sony PS3s.
- Google TV already includes some tools to support advertising, though ads aren't running.
- Other firms are looking at ads for AppleTV, Samsung, and other platforms. (You would assume that Apple would be coming out with an iAd for Apple TV at some point.)
Mobile ad companies think they have a leg up here because of their experience with apps on other limited-power, relatively closed-ecosystem devices,like smartphones and tablets. TV app publishers will need advertising SDKs, and these mobile firms have a lot more experience making in-app ad SDKs than anyone else.
Article Title: Top 5 Google Tools to Help Local Businesses with Online Marketing
Article Author(s): Chris Marentis
Reviewed by: (your name): Camille Ramsingh
Abstract: (250 words or so, summarizing main points)
Google never fails to impress or provide local businesses with tools and resources to boost sales and increase growth. The key, however, is implementing and utilizing these tools effectively, but first, we must know what they are before we can put them to effective use. Luckily, our clients benefit from our continuous goal of staying-on-top of what�s going on in Google-land.
In our opinion, the top 5 applications provided by Google that can be utilized by local business to incorporate into their online marketing strategies are outlined below with some supporting evidence as to why.
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Article Title: VideoSense—Towards Effective Online Video Advertising
Article Source: Multimedia ’07- Proceedings of the 15th International conference on Multimedia Article Authors: Tao Mei, Xian-Sheng Hua, Linjun Yang, Shipeng Li Reviewed By: Werdah Syed
Abstract: Using online videos for advertisements have revolutionized video ads with the use of online websites such as YouTube in combination with social media websites such as FaceBook, and Twitter. As of recently, YouTube has started to display video ads at the beginning of videos. In this article, the authors discuss the overwhelming importance of ad delivery through an online video service called ‘VideoSense’. This website has the ability to associate relevant video ads with online videos and inserts them where it finds it appropriate to do so. “Given an online video, Video Sense is able to detect a set of candidate ad insertion points based on content discontinuity and attractiveness, select a list of relevant candidate ads ranked according to global textual relevance, and compute local visual-aural relevance between each pair of insertion points and ads.” The major difference between VideoSense and YouTube is that websites such as YouTube match ads based on textual information and at the beginning or end of a video. VideoSense on the other hand inserts ads with in video streams and ensure that they are contextually relevant visually and aurally. While this improves the relevancy of ads it is still a highly intrusive form of advertising. These ads are displayed using thumbnails, the highlighted thumbnails have a yellow trim around then and they are displayed in the right panel of the site in a filmstrip menu. VideoSense is supposed to be the most effective form of video advertising. Similarly to how Google targets certain ads towards certain users, VideoSense uses user-targeting technology for the diffusion of video ads. Their future plans include embedding a variety of ads into online videos, including textual, audio and image ads.
Tags: Online video advertising, contextual relevance, less intrusiveness
Article Title: The Impact of Search Engine Optimization on Online Advertising
Article Source: In Proceedings of the 8th international conference on Electronic commerce: The new e-commerce: innovations for conquering current barriers, obstacles and limitations to conducting successful business on the internet (ICEC '06). Article Author(s): Bo Xing and Zhangxi Lin Reviewed by: Werdah Syed Abstract: Online advertising can help a business accomplish several goals. Most importantly, it helps businesses gain revenue, and spread brand awareness. In this article, the authors contribute the success of online advertisements to search engine optimization which helps businesses make profits. The two types of search engine advertising are credited to: 1) paid placement and 2) search engine optimization (SEO). Paid placement displays ads that are sponsored or paid results. Charges apply for the usage of certain keywords or for a certain location of an ad. SEO on the other hand is “the practice of optimizing web pages in a way that improves their ranking in the web search results, which are also known as natural or organic results because they are supposed to reflect relevancy in searchers’ standard.” The article explains that SEO is gaining popularity because of the increase in CPC and because of the appeal of organic results. Factors that affect SEO are page rank which is Google’s algorithm for measuring SEO effectiveness. Another key point that the article mentions is ‘algorithm robustness’ which “impacts a search engine’s advertising revenue in a competitive market.” The article also discusses how Yahoo was merely an effective form of online advertising. It wasn’t until 1998 when Google was launched that search engines became an increasingly form of online advertising. The willingness to pay for online advertisements plays a huge part in SEO.
Tags: search engine, online advertising, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, sponsored links, paid placement
Article Title: Further Reflections on Studying Social Influence in New Product Diffusion
Article Source: http://marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/documents/research/Further_reflections.pdf
Article Author(s): Raghuram Iyengar, Christophe Van den Bulte, Thomas W. Valente
Reviewed by: Wilfred Tang
Abstract: It is a reflection and critique of how we garner information regarding the success or failure of products on the market. The critique makes 4 major arguments. First, it states that contagion, or a viral effect, is an unassailable premise. The argument is as follows; the existence of contagion is not consistent with the scientific method, there are more insightful questions to be asked rather than viral effect as an answer to all, and lastly by simply concluding that contagion (viral effect) is the reason prevents us from asking further questions. Secondly, it compares survey data versus massive passive data. The article critiques both methodologies, the former being able to specifically hone into the specific topic of interest, the latter has massive amounts of data available for mining. The problem is that the former is expensive to conduct, and imperfect responses. The problem with the former is the lack of solid connection between friendship ties (Social Networks) or retweets (Twitter), furthermore the data may not fully reflect the topic of interest. Third, it contrasts the difference between experimental data and observational data. The former is easier to obtain and lowers the threat of omitted variables. The last point is contingencies in social influence. This is an important point in that influential individuals are effective seeding points for viral based marketing campaigns. The article claims that sociometric leadership is only weakly correlated and notes further that heavy users have a greater influence than light users. Further research into opinion leaders will have much practical value.
Tags: Product Diffusion, Contagion effect, Viral Marketing
Article Title: 20 Game-Changing Events That Changed the Internet, Part 1 and 2
Article Source: PCWorld, http://www.pcworld.com/article/223960/20_gamechanging_events_that_shaped_the_internet_part_1.html and http://www.pcworld.com/article/223977-2/20_gamechanging_events_that_shaped_the_internet_part_2.html
Article Author(s): Todd R. Weiss
Reviewed by: Naba Ahsan
Abstract: (The original article was published in two halves. Due to its nature, I wanted to mention all the points so I too split the abstract into Part 1 and 2 with respect to the organization of the article. The two parts do not count as two separate abstracts, though.)
Part 1:
The Internet was not always the way it is today. The clutter of ads, the abundance of information, the option to shop online all started with a simple multiplayer game introduced in 1978. Todd R. Weiss outlines 20 Game-Changing Events That Shaped the Internet. Symbolics.com was the first company to register with a Web domain name, thus creating the trend of companies that market themselves online today. The classic banner ad, which most of us have now learned to glance over, was put up in 1994. Weiss claims that even with the first banner ad, companies saw the pressure to join online advertising to compete and survive. NetMarket was the first company to sell merchandise over the Internet; the CEO designed a web-linked music store. Today we see online shopping as the norm, but in 1994, that CEO was somewhat of a genius. After NetMarket came eBay and Amazon. The trend in online shopping was visibly on the rise. There was a time when the public payed for Internet usage by the hour - until AOL stated it would instill monthly charges for users. All the other ISPs soon caught on and followed suite, but not for long, as broadband was welcomed which increased the percentage of US households with Internet from 9 per cent to 64 per cent in just eight years!
Part 2:
After 1994, the focus of the Internet turned to social media and online databases starting with Google, which was actually a project founded by college students. And to think, where would college students be today without the revolutionary Google? Craigslist, which is now used for everything from buying a guitar to finding a job, gained a strong reputation too, as people began selling and buying used cars around 1996. In the same year, e-books were introduced, and then, with the creation of blogs came a social, conversationally structured web which brought to attention a lot of the gaps in commercialization. For instance, Napster, for obvious reasons, was a disaster on the web. Mostly though, it brought to the music industry’s attention that their customers were slowly turning to the Internet for their music entertainment, and that the industry needed to make some fast choices to maintain their businesses. The last few events revolve solely around social media. That is, Skype, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, which brings us to our present day Internet system.
Tags: Internet evolution, shaping the web, online companies, advertising, gaming, online shopping, e-commerce
Article Title: Can Brands Finally Break In to Your Texts?
Article Source: Adweek, http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3ib54c69ebaed3a5c3c2c9f545180bad27
Article Author(s): Dylan Byers
Reviewed by: Naba Ahsan
Abstract:
Using American Idol as their primary selling point, GroupMe is a service that will potentially allow users to receive information via texts from MTV during the show, simply by starting a ‘Featured Group’ with their friends. The anticiaption behind this idea is the ability to hypothetically text an actual dancer, or other infamous/famous person, depending on which Group one signs with. The GroupMe company sees the opportunity in their audience being hooked on text messaging their friends during the show, and intend on using it to their advantage. “Text messaging has real potential as a marketing medium”, and the vp of MTV mobile agrees that it’s a mutual deal where MTV employs new techniques for increased audience ratings and GroupMe gains popularity by linking up with a high-rating show. While the show already has its place in online games and voting contests, they feel that via this concept of texting the members on the show, even more teens will get involved. Obviously there will be an added charge for users to sign into this deal, but for now, GroupMe is more interested in establishing brand identity. The biggest advantage GroupMe has is that television isn’t enough for the younger generation anymore. They want to want to feel as though they are actively contributing to the shows’ outcomes and GroupMe seems to be moving in the right direction towards making that happen.
Tags: GroupMe, group text messaging, American Idol, MTV, show promotion
Article Title: Advertisers Give Google TV a Warm Reception
Article Source: BusinessWeek
Article Author: Olga Kharif
Reviewed by: Amy Luong
Abstract:
Google's interactive TV platform is said to lower costs and improve the targeting of advertising spots because viewers using the technology will be able to search onscreen for more information. Anything that catches the viewer's eye can be searched on YouTube or redirected to advertisers' website.
Advertisers are predicting this as a new medium of getting their message to consumers. Currently advertisers are able to buy Google TV Ads which is an online marketplace where advertisers upload videos to a variety of television networks. But with this new interactive platform, advertisers are able to precisely measure viewers and know how many clicked on their TV ads and used a new "click-to-call" feature to contact advertisers immediately. This will also introduce a pay-per-viewer business model.
This makes TV advertising more affordable compared to traditional TV spots, the current cost is $30 per 1000 viewings. Compared to traditional TV advertising, the US accounted $83 billion in spending.
To track personal searches, Google plans to implement the remote to resemble smartphone keyboards. Other companies that are pursuing interactive TV include Apple, Microsoft and Yahoo. Yahoo's Connected TV services streams movies online from Amazon.com and Blockbuster. Advertisers have a number of options if the ability to combine TV's reach and web's precision prevails.
Tags: Interactive, Google, Google TV, Advertising, TV Ads, Pay-Per-Viewer, Click-to-call, Apple, Microsoft, Yahoo, Stream, Smartphone
Article Title: Apple Takes Share from Google in Mobile Ads
Article Source: BusinessWeek
Article Author: Olga Kharif
Reviewed by: Amy Luong
Abstract:
The new iAd network is grabbing market share when the first advertisements were placed in July. Marketers and advertisers use iAd to place interactive banner ads on Apple products, including popular games and apps. Apple takes a 40% cut while the rest goes to the developers.
One marketer explains their application, when the banners are touched or activated, it opens up a library of videos and other content that promotes the product. Their studies show that 20% of people returned to their ad a second time.
They project that by the end of the year, iAd will pull even with Google, taking 21% of the US mobile advertising market. The market research firm also projects Yahoo and Microsoft sinking into single digits. They expect the US mobile ad market to grow 126% to $500 million. Currently, the online ad market is much larger at $25 billion.
The strengths of iAD include being able to target ads based on buying habits of iTunes users. A drawback is their control over design, and does not allow marketers to target specific devices. Competition is rising with RIM (Research in Motion) as they plan to create a competing network that runs on BlackBerrys and their new tablet.
Tags: iAd, Apple, Mobile Advertising, interactive banner, Google, Marketing, iTunes, RIM
Article Title: Web advertising: new forms of communication on the Internet.
Article Source: Google Books
Article Author(s): Anja Janoschka
Reviewed by: Martha Macatangay
Abstract:
This book contains information on both traditional advertising and online advertising. The author even provides a definition of what advertising is and what advertising is for. Her definition states advertising as the “company’s external communication,” that is meant to achieve “higher profits and to benefit from increased sale of advertised products.” She shows what types of advertising worked especially for mass medias. She describes traditional advertising as something that everyone comes across to in their day to day lives such as the town criers from the past to print media, television, radio, newspapers, and even hot-air balloons and buses. The printing press is also talked about and how it has established the basis for mass media communication. The topic of online advertising in this book is focused on web ads such as banners, pop-up windows, and web ad traps. However, she also mentions how these can be targeted to a group of people, an individual, but can also reach beyond those people because of the freedom on the web. Moreover, an entire chapter is dedicated to communication itself. What is communication, what are the two forms of traditional communication, what is the communication in the Internet, and what are the new forms of communication are questions that can be answered in this book. Lastly, the final chapter is about the language of web ads in terms of the concept of persuasion, advertising language, and persuasive linguistics.
Tags: traditional advertising, online advertising, definition, comparison
Article Title: Secrets to Free Advertising
Article Source: Google Books
Article Author(s): Robert Noll & Anne Brashier
Reviewed by: Martha Macatangay
Abstract:
This book contains a lot of information covered in class. It talks about all of the ways one can advertise theirselves, their companies, or their products for free through online forms of advertising. It originally talks about the traditional ways of advertising for free such as the classified ads or word of mouth connections. Then it discusses e-mail marketing, social networking through sites like Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and blogging. The main point is to get socially connected online to get noticed; and therefore advertise what you want to advertise and for free. It even talks about the future of this like in Pay Per Click targeted online ads.
Tags: free online advertising, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter
Article Title: Bing vs. Google: The battle for your Advertising Dollars
Article Source: Entrepreneur
Article Author(s): Richard Stokes
Reviewed by: Yvonne Lu
Abstract:
What is the difference in advertising using Bing and advertising using Google. This article states why Bing should be given a chance to reach the top.
Bing has partnered with Yahoo! in 2010. They planned on using a pay-per-click platform, allowing advertisers the chance to use Bing to advertise as an alternative to Google. In order for the customer and to have the most rewarding experience with searches, such as including relevant advertisements. There are seven reasons why Bing deserves the chance advertise for companies:
1) Bid prices are lower – Since Google has been having advertisements for longer, there is a huge competition for the first page spot – which means for cash to pay in order to be on top.
2) Better conversion rates – Since Google is the default search engine for many, it reaches a larger demographic, which means a larger range of advertisements. When using Bing, it may give advertisers the most accurate searches that have relevance to the searches.
3) Better customer support for smaller accounts – Google has people that spend the most money on advertisers to get the better customer support, and help while the rest hardly gets the attention. Bing attempts to have a supporter and helper for a price a lot less – a price most people can meet.
4) Search traffic about to grow – The new partnership with Yahoo! provides Bing more search traffic
5) Advertisers who prepare campaigns ahead will have the advantage – Both companies require an account history before showing their ads. Bing would be faster to establish due to the fewer advertisers
6) Important Google campaign to Bing – Bing is eliminating the features of standardization, formats, minimum price to be able to important features of Google to Bing
7) Diversify – Do not rely solely on one web search, but expand to others
Tags: Advertising, Bing, Google, Dollars, Advertiser
Article Title: The unwritten rules of social media
Article Source: Entrepreneur
Article Author(s): Francine Kizner
Reviewed by: Yvonne Lu
Abstract:
The social medias: Myspace, Facebook, Twitter is not only about friend requests to see how many friends you have, but also a way to promote self or products on social sites.
1) Be Patient – Do not add or follow random people on Twitter or Facebook, but find people that would benefit you and your business – be more selective by getting referrals, network with people that would be useful.
2) Be inclusive – Don’t be shy about networking and connecting to others – don’t take the chance to alienate others – they may benefit you more than you think
3) Be on Message – Be careful what is going through your social media – once online, stays online. Ask yourself: Would you behave like that in real life?
4) Be transparent – Do not fill out all your information online. Take charge of your account and allow a two way link from you to another social site to easily find you.
5) Be Tactful – Do not immediately send requests and offers, but work on everyday conversations to connect with people first.
6) Be alert – Search up business complains or comments to respond to them instead of having a continuous misunderstanding or reoccurring problems
Tags: Social Media, Facebook, Twitter, Rules
Article Title: Intro to Search Engine Optimization
Article Source: Internet Service Technology LLP, http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:Ddy94b2R3CcJ:scholar.google.com/+what+is+search+engine+optimization&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5
Article Author(s): Danny Sullivan
Reviewed by: Naveen Karim
Abstract:
In the article Intro to Search Engine Optimization , Danny Sullivan discusses why it is critical to use keywords, titles, descriptions, tags and links to contextualize the social objects and how to boost the visibility of the social objects to generate more traffic for the website. According to him, SEO is the most effective free method of advertising on the web and the key is to attract the target audience. Some of the most effective marketing strategies of SEO that he mentioned include having keyword analysis which means identifying realistic keywords that get high conversion traffic. He said it is also important to have a simple summary or abstract at the top of the web page. Moreover, content expansion is crucial because the more pages you have on your website the more keywords and terms you show up for. Quality links should also be there, which are the underlined words you click on in articles that lead you to another websites. Furthermore, utilizing the keywords chosen and apply as much relevant content to your home page is vital. Lastly, the other most important strategy he mentioned is developing new content ranks high in terms of importance because it what will keep the target audience coming back. Therefore, SEO helps the company place itself among millions of other content already swimming throughout the World Wide Web.
Article Title:Social Media Optimization: SMO is the New SEO
Article Source:@ Brian Solis, http://www.briansolis.com/2010/02/social-media-optimization-smo-is-the-new-seo-part-1/
Article Author(s): Brian Sollis
Reviewed by: Naveen Karim
Abstract:
In the article Social Media Optimization: SMO is the New SEO, Brian Solis discuss how to implement and manage a Social Media Optimization program around your content to increase visibility in the new environments and why a failure to do this could be an enormous loss. According to him the most effective way to promote a product or service is through online advertising through social networking. Online advertising is a successful way of reaching the people because most people tend to spend more time online. In the article, he said online advertising is fairly cheap compared to other forms of advertising. Moreover, visual images online attract more people to click on the advertisement. SMO is a systematic and strategic approach to social media activity such as social networking. It is aimed to attract people to website content. Internet Advertising is a form of SMO which helps maximize online presence of the product or service and is also an effective marketing strategy. He said, SMO is based on viral marketing logics looking for word of mouth through the use of networking in social bookmarking, video and photo sharing websites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, LinkedIn, Orkut, Yahoo!, MSNLiveSpaces and many more. Thus, These social networking sites are an important element of any online reputation management strategy for companies who care about their presence on the web. Majority of the companies advertise through Facebook and Twitter to promote because these two are the most popular social networking sites and are free of cost. Facebook enables you to create groups and create personalized pages which could help reach potential customers because most people are members of Facebook. Furthermore, Twitter is the other social networking site that we have chosen so that people can receive instant updates about the promotions on the product or services. These sites also help the business get crucial feedback from the customers on their product or services.
Article Title: A Review of Online Advertising Effects on the User Experience
Article Source: International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction
Article Author(s): Giorgio Brajnik and Silvia Gabrielli
Reviewed by: Dai Vinh Lam
Abstract:
This article analyzes how online display advertising affect the user’s usability and quality experience on websites. In order to figure the effect of online advertising on web users, the author conduct in depth studies of the psychological explanations of user cognition, affection and behavior. Since the effect can varies depending on the web user, this results in finding of specific features and properties that cause certain types of effect on users. According to the author, online advertising can provide additional information channel to satisfy uses informational or emotional need but at the same time can make thing harder to use. By studying on how online advertising can influence users online experience can help to further improve the online advertisement as well as user online experience. Being able to analyze the effect and attain new findings can also help web designer to further evaluate beyond web user usability and web advertising. This article can be helpful for both online designing and marketing perspective since designing an effective online ad campaign require deep knowledge and understanding about online ads and effects of online ads. This article also points out important facts about online advertising that advertisers needed to avoid in order to advertise successfully.
Tags: Online advertising, benchmarking, cognition, Websites, Online
Article Title: Law and technology: Google AdWords and European trademark law
Article Source: Communications of the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery)
Article Author(s): Bechtold Stefan
Reviewed by: Dai Vinh Lam
Abstract:
After the hit of the Dot COM bubble, the traditional middlemen have become less important and get smaller and smaller as new B2C emerge in the Silicon Valley. These B2C companies deal directly with their customer over the Internet due to develop of Ecommerce. Due to the booming of technologies and Ecommerce, the law starts to have difficult in coping with these new technologies. In Europe and U.S, this new trend of business has led to many lawsuits and legislative initiatives. One of the most controversy issues that has been constantly discuss is the Google Adwords Advertisement system. This become a legal issues due to Google Adwords allow advertisers to buy “sponsored links” in section of Google search result page, which already registered as trademark of another company. This result in Louis Vuiton suit Google due to advertising link point to fake Louis Vuiton product website. This article point out interesting point about online advertising and the legal issues that companies must research carefully before entering trend. This article can be use to enrich the understanding of online advertisement and the legal issues lies among it. Google is one of the biggest advertising companies and by using Google as a case studies example, which reflect the relevancy of this article. Also, the author of this article is a reputable professor who is a member of Intellectual Property at ETH Zurich and a Communications Viewpoints section board member that put the article to be a useful and appropriate source toward online advertising understanding.
Tags: Google, Louis Vuiton, Google Adwords, Ecommerce, Trademarks, Patent Law, Search Engine, Liability
Article Title: 10 Online Strategies for Your Next Product Launch
Article Source: Mashable
Article Author(s): Beverly Cornell
Reviewed by: Lisa Luu
Abstract:
This article presents 10 online strategies for a successful product launch by taking an integrated approach. 1) Traditional methods cannot be ignored because of the effective exposure both television and print media deliver. 2) Search Engine Optimization (SEO) refers to your product’s online presence, such as a website or blog that can be easily located via keywords, title tags, header text, etc. 3) Email marketing enables you to send specialized content about your product to existing customers as to build and reward your existing relationships with them. 4) Online advertising includes: opportunities to advertise on social networks and related blogs/websites and using tools like Google AdWords. 5) Social networks can be used to inform current customers via updating your social networking sites and communicating with them by providing valuable content. 6) Geolocation tools can be used when there are physical locations selling your product, hence, creating a direct connection between your online marketing platforms and physical stores. 7) Group buying sites, such as Groupon, Living Social etc. offer opportunities for introducing and providing incentives to an opt-in audience. 8) Blogger outreach is to research for various blogs and its audience and content, and to ask for a product review to be posted on their blog. 9) Social media influencers are to be considered in determining the most active social media users you are targeting towards. 10) Online retail stores should provide partnership opportunities, as for making your product/company more readily available and credible.
Tags: product launch, online strategies, search engine optimization, email marketing, online advertising, social networks, geolocation, group buying, blogger outreach, social media, online retail stores
Article Title: 6 Common Email Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses Make
Article Source: Mashable
Article Author(s): Todd Wasserman
Reviewed by: Lisa Luu
Abstract:
As email marketing remains an inexpensive and effective way in establishing and maintaining customer relationships, there are often 6 common email marketing mistakes that small businesses tend to make. 1) Emailing without permission is an invasion of privacy, often referred to as spam. It is an unethical act if the receivers did not sign up for email newsletters. Thus, building up an organic list of email recipients, such as having an opt-in form is recommended. 2) Having ineffective or irrelevant subject and “from” lines. Using boring subject lines and unrecognizable senders often lower the chances your email messages get opened and read. 3) Blasting irrelevant content negatively affects your company’s reputation. 4) Not looking at the numbers means there are no metrics to analyze and compare how successful your company has become since utilizing this strategy. Also, ways to improve can be discovered, such as the best day and time to send email messages, the most eye-catching subject lines, etc. 5) Having no purpose means the lack of company goals in using email marketing, a purpose is required in starting this strategy in order to measure success of the overall strategy. Lastly, 6) providing no entry for dialogue limits the customers’ voicing of opinions. Good conversations will most likely engage a wider audience, hence, shared with other potential customers.
Tags: email marketing, small businesses, permission, privacy
Article Title: Online Advertising
Article Source: http://www.completecampaigns.com/article.asp?articleid=25
Article Author(s): Karen A.B Jagoda
Reviewed by: Syed Saad Qaiser.
Abstract:
The following article provides an in-depth analyses on issues related to online advertising particularly with respect to a political campaign. The article particularly sheds light on the first democratic candidates (Howard Dean and John Kerry) to use online advertising as a tool to promote presidential elections in the year 2003-2004.
The author then shares his views regarding this delay in the adoption of the use of Internet that is sought as people/candidates having a hypothetical belief that the Internet does not reach the right people. Many surveys such as the “E-voters” survey proved this hypothetical belief as incorrect and revealed the effectiveness of online political ads.
The Article further addressed the questions regarding the, persuasion power of online advertising; that is concluded as being extremely persuasive due to its ability to transform persuasion into instant actions.
The various ways of targeting the desired viewers; That includes methods such as paid search, banner ads, rich media ads such as videos and animation, text ads that appear on news letters or on search engine and finally the E-mails and Newsletters.
The cost and pricing system & issues regarding the placement of content with respect to targeting the desired audience; The cost of online advertising is measured in a unit called “Cost per thousand” or CPM. This CPM is dependent on various factors that are mentioned in sheer detail in the article. The cost of an on online advertising is also dependent on the nature of political campaign and can range from $1 to $50. These online ads can appear on a number of places on the website and are targeting in essentially three ways namely, targeted by individual, targeted by content and targeted by behavior.
In the later half of the article, stress has been put on measuring online ad campaign’s success and a comparison has been made between the traditional medium and the online realm, which the author concludes as being an aid to the traditional medium.
(320 words approx)
Tags: online advertisement, online political campaign, CPM, traditional media.
Article Title: Online tracking and the privacy violations of behavioral marketing
Article Source: http://wistechnology.com/articles/5131/
Article Author(s): Debora Wilcox
Reviewed by: Syed Saad Qaiser
Abstract:
The following
article provides an in-sight to the emergence of “Behavioral Targeting”, that has become marketers prime tool to target audience in recent times. The author explains behavioral targeting as a marketing tactic practiced by online marketers, which involve tracking user’s online activities in order to deliver advertising, targeted to that user. This is done by the help of “online cookies” that keeps a track on ones activity on the Internet does this.
The article further reveals that online marketers are shifting to more customized form of advertising and collaborations are being made between giants such as Charter Communications and NebuAd, in this regard. However, it is due to such an exposure that has raised, issues such as the privacy concern that cannot be overlooked. Therefore, the Federal Trade Commission (FCC) has proposed that the companies should inform users that their personal information is being collected for marketing purpose. Moreover, the FCC has proposed that the marketers should provide a reasonable security of data and should only retain it as long as it is necessary for marketing.
The later half of the article focuses on the option of “opting out.” By having this option, users can accustom behavioral targeting subject to their own will that can be exercised by clicking on the “opt out” link that would clarify the consumers that no personally identifiable information is used to deliver the targeted ads.
Through out the article, the author has maintained a neutral stance and has not provided a conclusion instead the issue has been ultimately redeemed as an on going debate.
(260 words approx)
Tags: Behavioral Targeting, Privacy violation, Online tracking, Federal Trade Commission,FCC
Article Title: Blogger-Centric Contextual Advertising
Article Source: Expert Systems With Applications (2011), 38 (3), pg. 1777-1788
Article Author(s): Teng-Kai Fan and Chia-Hui Chang
Reviewed by: Sue Wu
Abstract: Weblog is also known, as blog, has become one of the major Internet platforms for people to express their interests, opinions, news and information. There are more than 1.2 million blogs found on the Internet. There is significant increase in amount of viewers and bloggers over the past years. Thus, a blog has become an appealing platform for many advertisers. Many blogs contain inevitable advertisements and some these advertisements are in form of contextual advertising. Contextual advertising is ads that are based on the page content instead of the viewer’s geographical location and demographic features. The authors sampled 138, 907 ads and 200 blog pages from Google AdSense. It is evidenced that by having contextual advertisements on blogs help increased click through rate, especially those bloggers who write review on the advertised product or service. This is a relevant source because it explains a different technique for online advertising, which is the use of blogger-centric contextual advertising to target audiences. In addition, the authors strengthen the importance contextual advertising through using quantitative researches and experiments. The article also helps deepen one’s understanding of how a blog’s advertisements work and ways to build an interesting blog that will attract both viewers and advertisers.
Tags: Online advertising, Text mining, Machine learning, Marketing, Information retrieval, Language model
Article Title: Malvertisements Growing as Online Security Threat
Article Source: Communications of the ACM (2010), 53 (12)
Article Author(s): Jason Hong
Reviewed by: Sue Wu
Abstract: This article describes how online advertising can be turned into viruses that will seriously harm one’s computer. Malvertisement is a new form of Internet danger found in online advertisement. These fake online advertisements are embedded with malware and scareware. One of the ways that criminals inject viruses to one’s computer is inserting flash files with exploits to an ad. Another way is the use of scare tactics to an ad. For instance, an ad may show on a well-recognized webpage and tell the viewer that his or her computer have been infected viruses. Once the user clicks on the false ad, viruses will automatically be transferred to one’s computer. Another sign of malvertisement is false antivirus ads that attract viewers through providing false virus scans. As a result, the reputation and trust of many antivirus companies are loss from consumers. Malvertisement can be placed everywhere on the web. Even well developed news website such as the New York Time was once affected by malvertisement found in their online advertisement displayed on the webpage. Malvertisement is becoming a threat to the operation of the Internet and online advertising since many businesses are converting from traditional advertisement to online advertisements. This source significant to online advertising because inform people some of the threats of online advertising. Although online advertising might reach a wide range on audiences but if someone attempted use a company for false advertise, the company could be in great risks.
Tags: Internet crime, computer viruses, online advertising
Article Title: Top 10 Tips for an Effective Advertising Campaign
Article Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing/advertising/3983-1.html
Article Author: D&B Company
Reviewed by: Justyna Paszkiewicz
This article identifies several strategies that can be used to increase the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. First and foremost, the success of a campaign depends on catering to a niche target demographic rather than trying to appeal to the masses. This “Don’t try to be everything to everyone” mentality is what keeps a company in check before it spreads itself too thin. Reaching its prospective customers should be its first priority. Part of this is researching the target audience and advertising in their favourite channels, while maintaining diversity. Highlighting the product’s competitive edge is what then keeps this niche audience interested. A well-established and consistent brand image allows for brand awareness and recognition. The more times a viewer sees a particular ad, the greater the brand awareness of the company. A very useful tip proposed by this article is for companies to test their ads before they make them live. One way of doing this is by organizing a focus group and documenting whether the key messages and company image are conveyed properly. Not everyone will perceive the ad in the same way and it’s important to account for discrepancies. This may also be useful from an aesthetic point of view – after a graphic designer works on the ad for an extended length of time, he will benefit from a pair of fresh eyes that can provide some constructive criticism. Also, it’s important to note that advertising has to be looked at from a seasonal point of view – this will allow a company to adjust the budget to allow for more advertising during the highest season.
Tags: effective, advertising, marketing, brand awareness, niche audience
Article Title: Before You Advertise Know the Facts! Offline Advertising Vs Online Advertising
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Before-You-Advertise-Know-the-Facts!-Offline-Advertising-Vs-Online-Advertising&id=5726640Article Author: Brian McDaniel
Reviewed by: Justyna Paszkiewicz
Brian McDaniel’s article focuses on comparing the process of running an offline vs. online advertising campaign. Traditional offline advertising includes the use of radio, television, billboards, newspapers, etc. The cost of these media are about $20 to $35 per day, or approximately $9900 a year. He explains that at any given time, about 95% of the audience is collecting information and only about 5% of the audience is ready to buy the product. With traditional advertising, you are advertising to the community at large and therefor have to appeal to the 95% who are only gathering information. For smaller companies with tight budgets, it makes more sense to advertise directly to the 5% who are on the verge of making a purchase. Online advertising on the other hand, will cost roughly $19 a day or $6900 a year for advertising and the creation of a professional website. The greatest difference McDaniel points out between offline and online advertising is that with cost per click you only pay for the amount of times viewers engage with your advertisement. In conclusion, the verdict is that online advertising has many advantages over offline advertising: its cheaper, faster, allows for changes, allows tracking and feedback, provides depth of information and targets niche audiences based on their needs.
Tags: offline advertising, online advertising, cost per click
Article Title: Podcast 103: Social Marketing to the Business Customer
Article Source: Trafcom News Podcast
Article Author(s): Donna Papacosta with Guest Eric Schwartzman
Reviewed by: Kleine Achiles
Abstract: Trafcom News, hosted by Donna Papacosta, are podcasts “for people who care about communicating with employees, customers, prospects and the world.” In this podcast, Donna Papacosta interviews Eric Schwartzman, the co-author (with Paul Gillin) of Social Media Marketing to the Business Customer: The B2B Social Media Guide. This is the first book ever published that focuses on Business to Business social media. Eric Schwartzman works as an independent online communications consultant to businesses, the US military, government agencies and non-profit organizations. In this book, Eric Schwartzman talks about how businesses can use various social media tools, not just Twitter and Facebook, to build their relationship with other businesses. There are more B2B transactions than B2C (business to customer) relationships. Despite high B2B transactions, businesses lack a cohesive strategy plan to strengthen and maintain relationships. In the book, Schwartzman and Gillin take a rational approach to social marketing like management buy-ins, socializing the organization, building strategies based on where the action is and monitor social media action going on about the business. Schwartzman also recommends that businesses blog because blogging is akin to the Swiss Army Knife. Blogging combines pictures, audio, text, and video. B2B relationships are important to create, strengthen and maintain because of buying decisions that are made. Schwartzman and Gillin include case studies in their book and it’s not all about technology either. A final point Schwartzman makes is that the purpose of B2B social marketing is to “humanize your business, experiment openly, and be tolerant to risks.”
Tags: Social media, Trafcom News, Social Marketing, Eric Schwartzman, PR, B2B, B2C
Article Title: Learning From Kenneth Cole's Social Media Mistake
Article Source: HubSpot Blog, http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/9286/Learning-From-Kenneth-Cole-s-Social-Media-Mistake.aspx
Article Author(s): Brian Whalley
Reviewed by: Andrew Perucho
The article brings to light the recent PR mishap involving the "Kenneth Cole" brand on Twitter. On the first Thursday on February, @KennethCole with a following of 12,000 on Twitter sent out a tweet in regards to their brand new spring collection being recently launched and made available online. Perfectly fine as this has become quite the norm in this day of age for companies to rely on social media network sites to aid their advertising online, however literally just seconds after the tweet was sent out the painful backlash hit @KennethCole squarely in the face. The tweet that accompanied the announcement of their new line read "Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at (link of site) - KC". The tweet brought up recent political events in Gaza and people on Twitter were immediately in outrage and shock. How can @KennethCole use such an event that killed thousands, as the punchline for a joke to promote their spring line? In a matter of minutes, word spread about this mishap and the @KennethCole brand reputation was forever tarnished.
Brian Whalley makes a good point on damage control when it comes to situations like these. There was absolutely no way @KennethCole could retract their tweet in the midst of the public onslaught because as they say, once you put something on the Internet it's like a stain you can try to remove but fail to. Brian says Kenneth Cole could've done quite a bit to weather the storm like apologizing immediately, and using their Twitter to promote awareness by posting links to donor sites and charities. Acknowledging angry tweets directed at @KennethCole and coming off as sincere and apologetic would've helped as well. The Kenneth Cole incident is a perfect example of learning to be responsible when dealing with social media, as backlash can be headed your way in a millisecond if you're not careful and years of careful brand reputation building could all come at a colossal tumble at the hands of one careless 'tweet'.
Tags: Social Media, Twitter, Brand Image, Kenneth Cole, Fail Whale, Online Advertising
Article Title: Founders of New Browser RockMelt on Privacy, Advertising
Article Source: The Wall Street Journal Blogs, http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/11/08/founders-of-new-browser-rockmelt-on-privacy-advertising/
Article Author(s): Jennifer Valentino-DeVries
Reviewed by: Andrew Perucho
The article explores the newly hyped Internet browser "RockMelt" released in November last year. RockMelt was in much abuzz because it was the first browser to combine a user's social media network (Facebook, IM), search engines, and news of the user's interests - in short, it was the first user customizable browser. When asked about how the innovative browser will make money, the co-founder stated "it's still to early to say how the browser will make money but that an ad network is not part of their plan." Their main goal is to improve user experience, and RockMelt developers believe that "you cant have a good user experience if somebody is taking your data and using it to sell ads" - taking an indirect shot at Google and their AdSense concept. As Internet privacy has become an increasing concern over the years with the rise of Google and Facebook, Rockmelt insists that while the browser combines these two giants together they will in no way jeopardize the privacy of the user. "The settings are encrypted before being tramsitted to Rockmelt, and the company doesn't store information on things like search and brewing history." While the concept itself sounds great, only time will tell if Rockmelt can live up to their promise but one thing is for certain… they have their work cut out for them competing with Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.
Tags: RockMelt, Online Advertising, Privacy, Surveillance, User History
Article Title: Complete Guide to Blog Advertising
Article Source: http://www.instantshift.com/2010/06/10/complete-guide-to-blog-advertising/
Article Author: Cameron Chapman
Reviewed by: Rita Fung
Traditional websites are no longer the only way to attract businesses and customers; blog advertising has become increasingly popular. According to Chapman, “blog advertising can be a great source of income for many bloggers and a great source of vistors for many businesses.” This article by Cameron Chapman acts as a guide for bloggers and advertisers with setting up and managing an appropriate blog advertising campaign. There are many types of blog ads such as pay-per-click, pay- per-impression, contextual ads, text link ads…etc so first step to success is to choose the right kind of ad for your blog, Second, ad placement is very important, the placement of the ad makes a big difference in how effective the ad is. How much an ad costs also depends on where the ad is placed, it could be above the header, below the header, within post…etc.
Third, is to consider is an ad is even necessary for your blog and if so what types of ads are best suited for your blog design and how many ads is appropriate? Forth, is to “decide whether you want to sell ads directly to advertisers or join a blog network.” However affiliate programs is also a great way to make money from your blog. Fifth, according to Chapman, “it’s worth looking around for themes that seem to have considered optimal ad placement. Sixth, finding the appropriate blog to advertise your product or company on can be overwhelming but it is important. You want to find a blog that is updated regularly, have reasonable traffic levels and have engaged readers. Seventh, monitor how effective your ad placements are, “regularly reviewing your results and adjusting your efforts will lead to a more successful advertising campaign.”
Tags: guide, ad, blog advertisement, site, campaign, banner, ad placement, advertisers, network, sales
Article Title: 2011 Online Video Advertising Trends & Predictions – Part I – Branded, Interactive, and Mobile
Article Source: http://www.reelseo.com/2011-video-advertising/
Article Author: Christopher Rick
Reviewed by: Rita Fung
In the article, Christopher Rick discusses the topic of “what will be the big trend for video advertising in 2011?” with the biggest names in the online video advertising industry, such as Iggy Fanio from adBrite, Tod Sacerdoti from Brightroll, Andy Tu from Break Media and Chris Young from DBG. Iggy Fanio the President and CEO of adBrite said that a big trend in 2011 is the standardization of ad formats and technology because by standardization will accelerate growth and bring in a larger audience. Also, according to Fanio, “the standardization of formats will enable online video to scale and grow exponentially as well as provide scope for BT- a de facto standard for digital advertising campaigns with proven result) (Rick, 2010) Tod Sacerdoti, Ceo and founder of Brightroll said a big trend in 2011 is that mobile video advertising will be the most wanted new video ad format. The reason behind his statement is because mobile video ad is highly interactive, compatible with different programs and it’s targetable. According to Sacerdoti, “it’s an incredible branding environment.” (Rick, 2010) Andy Tu, VP marketing of Break Media said more users will turn to digital platforms as a primary source of entertainment. According to Tu, “ digital video will not be dfined as a web only phenomenon and we will start to see video scale across new platforms such as iPad, mobile devices, internet-enabled TVs, and 3D-enabled TVs.” Chris Young, Ceo of Digital Broadcasting Group said branded entertainment and video ad interactivity will be a big trend in 2011. According to Young, advertisers will try to target and engage customers in a unique and less intrusive way. Young believes that “interactivity will be crucial to the success of any online video campaign… 2011 is going to be the year of ‘smart reach’- reaching the right consumer at the right time with content that’s relevant to them.”
So to summarize the points made by the expertise in the online video advertising industry, branding, interactivity and mobile advertising will be the biggest trend in the up coming years.
Tags: branding, interactive, mobile video advertising, trend, Brightroll, Break Media, DBG, adBrite
Article Title: A Silver Lining on "YourCompanySucks.com" Sites
Article Source: http://www.marketingtoday.com/emarketing/0105/silver_lining.htm
Brien, John. “A Silver Lining on ‘YourCompanySucks.com’ Sites.” Marketing Today: The Online Guide to Marketing in the Information Age. A publication of Peter DeLegge Consulting., n.d. Web. 29 March 2011.
Article Author(s): John Brien
Reviewed by: Sydney Pope
“A Silver Lining on ‘YourCompanySucks.com’ Sites” is an article written by a man with extensive marketing experience. The article outlines the pros and cons of finding a “YourCompanySucks.com” site on the Internet. These sites are started by disgruntled clients whose goal is to let all that will listen know about their terrible experience. At first, you as upper management of the company may be inclined to sue but Brien explains that this may not be the way to go. He outlines various strategies of dealing with the sucks site, as well as reasons that they may not be all negative.
A couple of ways to control or get rid of the site are to sue, although there may not be grounds to do so unless libel is explicit, and to buy the site, although again this may be a step in the wrong direction as other sites are easily produced.
The most useful part of the article is when Brien tells the reader to take a deep breath and think almost positively at the situation. Other clients or potential business partners do not give poorly designed “sucks” sites much attention, and well-designed sites can often be a learning experience for the company, free of charge! It pays to know what clients think and what problems they may be experiencing with the product or service your company offers. No need for focus groups with a well-designed site. Therefore, the article is extremely useful in both giving tips on what to do with a “sucks” site, as well as how to use the experience to the company’s advantage.
Tags: yourcompanysucks.com, Online Marketing, Customer Satisfaction
Article Title: Gentle Reminders: Retargeting can lead to increased conversions and turn abandoned site visits into sales
Article Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219344
Belicove, Mikal E. “Gentle Reminders: Retargeting can lead to increased conversions and turn abandoned site visits into sales.” Entrepreneur. Entrepreneur Magazine, April 2011. Web. 1 April 2011.
Article Author(s): Mikal E. Belicove
Reviewed by: Sydney Pope
“Gentle Reminders: Retargeting can lead to increased conversions and turn abandoned site visits into sales” is an article in Entrepreneur online magazine that challenges business executives to regain the sales of seemingly hopeless case online customers. It highlights strategies for redirection methods associated with other websites to aid the company to bring back the customer to complete the transaction.
Behaviour retargeting, behavioural remarketing or retargeting, exists when companies use online advertising to track and follow a potential customer through other sites in order to persuade them to buy from the company’s site. One way that the article proposes this is to show the customers deals that will be expiring soon. Another method is reassuring customers of your sites credibility.
Customers need reassurance. Due to the fact that online buying and selling is fairly new to the web, people may be skeptical to purchase products online. Most reasons include fear of fraud but, as the article outlines, others include the fact that customers may not want to pay shipping and handling fees and that they feel that they could find the same product for cheaper elsewhere. By using banner advertisements to reassure, companies can also redirect back to their website. Also, using cookies, the company can further target advertisements seen on associated sites on the web, to the customer, making them further inclined to buy. Basically, Belicove is asking business leaders not to write off the customers who abandon their shopping cart of merchandise online. There is always a better way to convince them to come back.
Tags: retargeting, behavioural remarketing, online advertising, online shopping
Article Title: How to: Launch Any Product Using Social Media
Article Source: Mashable.com
Article Author(s): Guy Kawasaki
Reviewed by: Mehria Karimzadah
Kawasaki, Guy. "HOW TO: Launch Any Product Using Social Media." Mashable.
Mashable.com, 30 Mar. 2011. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. <mashable.com/2011/03/30/product-launch-social-media/>.
The article discusses the first hand experiences of the author promoting their book over social media to, within a week’s time, become a New York Times best seller. The article highlights 12 key steps, in particular, promotional tactics including Facebook fan pages, emails, pay-per-click advertising, costs associated and subsequent results (where measureable). The steps are a brief overview of actions taken specific to the author’s experience. The article lacks analytic depth or a broader standpoint; however is a good starting point to inform and peak the interests of product managers to understand relevant modes of promotion or its advantages in tactics not all too well known. Guy Kawasaki has worn many executive hats, from start-up success to corporate evangelism. With a BA from Stanford and his MBA from UCLA, Kawasaki has grown from humble beginnings to writing 10 successful books including Enchantment, Reality Check, The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Selling the Dream, and The Macintosh Way. This particular article appeals to business professionals regardless of size of the firm or nature of business. The article is relevant to small businesses using the internet to expand their consumer base, or for existing firms seeking new opportunities to generate further sales. The focus is to educate the audience on effective product exposure and ecommerce on social media platforms. As students, this article is a beneficial read, furthering our expertise in the social media context of commerce.
Tags: social media, advice, experience, books, facebook, twitter, marketing, promotion
Article Title: How the Pros Measure Social Media Marketing success
Article Source: Mashable.com
Article Author(s):Todd Wasserman
Reviewed by: Mehria Karimzadah
Wasserman, Todd. "How the Pros Measure Social Media Marketing Success." Mashable.
Mashable.com, 31 Mar. 2011. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. <mashable.com/2011/03/31/measure-social-media-roi/>.
The article discusses the measurement of social media marketing tactics in perspective of how “professionals” approach the issue. Topics discussed in this article are from the viewpoints of three distinct individuals in a question and answer style format. The three experts include: Sarah Hofstetter, senior vice president of emerging media and brand strategy at 360i, David Rosenberg, director of emerging media at JWT, Dexter Bustarde, senior web analyst at Digitaria (Wasserman, 2011). All three provide input on their experiences, beliefs and ideas of the measuring of the effectiveness of online social media engagement. Questions range from what defines success on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, to discussions of who has gained success and how, example Charlie Sheen. The answers of the panel are thoughtful and provide good background and conceptualization. Issues such as speed, spread, and audience are discussed directly correlating to actions by businesses on these mediums. Basically allowing to predict an outcome from an action. Relevant tracking technologies are briefly assessed in portions of the article. Mashable.com is an online collaborative blog discussing the most recent trends, news, how to’s, do’s and dont’s of the business and technology industry. The author, Todd Wasserman, currently holding the position of editor of the business and marketing section of Mashable.com, has held many influential positions in various esteemed and technology forward magazines and newspapers. The contents of this article would greatly benefit businesses and social media managers in organizations experimenting with social media and its effectiveness for their firm.
Tags: social media, advice, experience, books, facebook, twitter, marketing, promotion
Article Title: Climb the Social Ranks
Article Source: Marketing
Article Author: Andrew Walmsley
Reviewed by: Sophia Leonard
Social networking sites create a new need for Search Engine Optimization. Google uses PageRank to sort search results, using algorithms based on the number of other pages that link to a particular page, the URL and page title, and the relevance of the material within the result's site. In contrast, Facebook's search result is based on the actions of a user's friends. Top results are based on how relevant the query is to a user's friends (whether the query appears a friend's name, friends' liked pages, mentions in wall posts, number of users, etc.). As with Google, the importance of keeping a company's page on the first set of results is imminent as users have been shown to be unlikely to continue to more results. However, Search Engine Optimization approaches are very different for companies' Facebook pages versus Google results. Because of the importance of friends' activities in the Facebook search engine algorithm, pages can easily fall victim to power laws. If a page is low on the search results, it is less likely to be viewed, less likely to be liked, and less likely to ever move ahead in the results. Facebook search results follow the Pareto principle, in which 20% of an organization is vital and 80% is unimportant.
Tags: SEO, Social Media, Facebook, PageRank, Pareto principle
Article Title: The premium content gap
Article Source: Marketing
Article Author: Andrew Walmsley
Reviewed by: Sophia Leonard
Product sales do not always reflect a good product, and are largely influenced by the presentation of a product, whether if it's the actual look or a type of promotion. The theory that better content generates better ad sales and thus profit is being challenged by the Internet. Online, profitability on good content is not as high and financial motivation to create new, quality works is at risk. Specific Media uses algorithms and content tagging to accurately match advertisements to viewers of content. Hosts of the ads are paid in cost per thousand, and advertisers are paying for cost per action. The information gathered by Specific Media gives value to the content on which companies will advertise, and creates a separation between the context of the content and the value wanted by the client. Specific Media wins when there is an additional premium to charge the advertisers as the publisher of the content does not get a cut of that. This model takes advantage of otherwise unused ad space which can be given value by tagging it with data and using the algorithms to couple the content with appropriate advertising. What is valuable is the organization of content by tags (and not the content itself) which allow for precise determinations of what markets may be suited for a particular host. A similar relationship exists in television: Google TV is capable of searching through tons of data and giving the user their desired content, however, traditional TV networks are hesitant to hand over their data and become searchable by Google TV.
Tags: Tagging, Metatags, Specific Media, Google TV, distress, behaviourally targeted marketing
Article name: Value of skilled web-site design and online advertising and marketing solutions
Article Source: http://sabaanjum.com/2011/04/01/value-of-skilled-web-site-design-and-online-advertising-and-marketing-solutions/
Article Author(s): florencemcnaully7362
Reviewed by: Vince Leung
Abstract: This article talks briefly about the importance of the online market, and the high demand for them especially when it comes to battling for consumers. Since the online network is so big, there is a high potential for companies advertise and grab attention of their customers or future customers. This design skill, includes logo building, web page design, branding and photography amongst others. These creations are highly important, since the potential of return is so high, yet the competition so large in the online world. As the author puts it, the process is takes up great deal of time and investment, as you are basically putting your brand in the online world. Compared to the classic ways of marketing and advertising, the use of online advertising has a great ROI. Besides the simple fact that the internet is open to all people 24/7, there is the ability for companies to home in on their target markets, and get better feedback at a great pace then traditional ways. However, that requires your pages to be constantly be refreshed with different articles etc. to capture not only your audience, but pushing your site to higher spots on search engines such as Google, yahoo (crawlers). Other methods this author points out is the use of forums as it is a consistent community that shares a common set of knowledge, such as gaming, gaming companies can put demos etc to allow their consumers to try their games. Finally is the use of online marketing program, you have to know proper marketing tactics an order to fulfil your goals, as mentioned theres a huge competition online, so if you were to operate a small business on a large network, there has to be proper market skills and tactics an order to grab attention of these markets.
Tags: forums, online advertising, marketing, online marketing program
Article name: Internet Marketing Firm, Morning Falls, Sees Online Ad Spending on the Rise
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/266823#ixzz1Ibcj0iCf
article source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/266823
article author(s): PRWEB.COM Newswire
reviewed: Vince Leung
Abstract:
This article talks about escalation of online ads. According to one source: Jason Gamwell, statics show online ad spending were up 13.9% of record $12.8 Billion in 2010 [nternet marketing firm]. From this source, there is an assumption that this trend will continue due to popularity of social networks and less uses of other offline ads (i.e newspaer, magazine etc). Reason behind being the low cost budget of online ad, and higher ROI contrasting from conventional ad methods. One statistic showed that in 2010 it was the first year that US marketers spent more to advertise online than in newspaper, and first time that the online readership was higher then print readership. Another reason for the growth in online advertising the ease of use, research and purchase can be done with a click of a button. Online advertising is also used more frequently due to the flexibility (variety) of methods to advertise, such as pay per impression, pay per click, along with the ability to measure the ROI faster and more efficiently. "29 percent / 1 out of 3 businesses claims to plan on increasing social media spending this year. Finally is the ability to mix online medieas with other sources, such as tv radio making it much more diverse and targeting much more people.
Article Title: Online advertising trends
Article Source: Webevents, http://www.webeventseurope.com/Internet-Marketing-Services/Article91.aspx
Article Author(s): no name
Reviewed by: Che-ming Jamin Chang
Abstract: This web article talks about the future of the online advertising. This article gives the media buyer five online advertising areas that they should look to advertise in the future. The first one is online communities, the author talks about how the online communities is growing, such as a site like Facebook which connects to old school friends, or have groups of people that have similar interest. The second one is viral marketing, this is when the advertising and promotions is extended beyond the original target audience. This is encouraging the target audience to spread words about this advertisement, and to forward it to friends. The third one is personalized adverts, this is when advertisers with large budgets, look at ways to personalize their ads to their users. The fourth one is broadband expansion, this allows the online advertisers to be more creative with their advertisements, since bigger broadband will allow faster download speed. The fifth one is Mobile Data Services, since more and more people nowadays have 3g phones, as it becomes more affordable and popular, online advertisers should look to link with mobile service provider to provide their advertisement on cell phones.
Tags: Trends, marketing, promotion.
Article Title: How to Promote Your Website- Everything You Need For Success.
Article Source: Practical SEO, http://www.practicalseo.org/blog/how-to-promote-your-website-everything-you-need-for-success/
Article Author(s): Zarko
Reviewed by: Che-ming Jamin Chang
Abstract:
In this article, the author talks about a number of ways in which you can promote your blog or website, The first one is to start with freebies, this is when a new website or a seasoned one gives out something for free, this will always attract a lot of visitors, and returning users. The author gives some ideas on what a website can give out for free, ideas such as ( Free report on your niche or a certain topic, free Ebook, free plugin or app, free sample products.) The second way that the author suggests is to use social connection and brand marketing. This is when the website promote their brands with the same images and same approach so visitors will remember the brands. The website owner need to utilize the power of the social media, to keep their website well known throughout the internet.
The author suggested the following ideas to improve brand marketing and social connection ( Build a fan page for your website or brand on Facebook, create a twitter account, start a group on Facebook, create social profiles,) The third way that the author suggest to use to promote your website is to "Be creative and use everything you can". The author suggested ideas such as create a banner for your website, where people can copy, paste HTML code, and build links. The author also suggested using ideas such as: include testimonials on your website, Adwords, guest blogging, ask visitors for questions and feedback on what they would like on the website, create a useful video.
Tags: website, promotion, online advertising, blog.
Article Title: The State of Online Video Advertising 2011
Article Source: Streaming Media Magazine February/March Issue Streamingmedia.com
Article Author(s): Tony Klejna
Reviewed by: Sandy Wong
Abstract: Klejna speaks to a number of online advertising executives to assess the state of online video advertising in 2011. As the online video advertising market grows, advertisers will continue to pour money into this medium to target consumers by demographic. Online video advertising is expected to continue to grow as money from television ad budgets move online. Jason Krebs of Tremor Media gives us an introduction to online video advertising; businesses are focused on personalizing advertising content relevant to viewers via ad networks.
The different types of online video advertising are described. Linear and non-linear advertising help target and measure viewings and increase engagement for better returns on investments by reaching the same number of viewers as television but making the ads more effective by personalizing the ad content to the viewers. The nature of the advertising networks and how they produce the content to distribute across different publishers is described.
Ease of use is the most important current and future trend for online advertising. Publishers have to be able to easily integrate ads into their content. Klejna speaks with the CEO of LongTail Video and Briainient to understand how video ad networks bring together publishers and advertisers and allow publishers to add relevant ads to their sites.
Tags: (categorize) Advertising industry, Online Video Advertising, Video streaming, personalization.
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Article Title: Online Video E-Portfolios are Coming into Their Own
Article Source: Streaming Media magazine April/May 2011 issue StreamingMedia.com
Article Author(s): Paul Riismandel
Reviewed by: Sandy Wong
Abstract: Online e-portfolios and personal branding online is becoming the norm for schools and employers.
Admissions departments and employers are increasingly requiring online submissions rather than traditional paper bound portfolios. Applicants now have to make portfolio items web accessible because many institutions do not accept large files. Interactive media is becoming an important component in school curricula and schools have been responding by requiring students to create e-portfolios to document and demonstrate their abilities. The history of where e-portfolios gained traction is described. Students now need to learn how to control public perception of their identities by generating different portfolios for different audiences. Schools need to adapt their systems to accommodate e-portfolios and integrated videos.
Tags: Personal Branding, e-portfolios, online advertising, online identity, online presence.
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Article Title: How To Promote Yourself on Social Sites Without Actually “Promoting Yourself”
Article Source: SearchRank Blog. "Professional Search Engine Marketing Firm"
Article Author: David Wallace
Reviewed by: Matthew Stollmeyer
Abstract: There is a fine line between promotion and spamming. You or your company becoming labelled as a spammer isn't exactly going to boost clientele. Informative and annoying eventually becomes ignored and annoying. Mr. Wallace emphasizes the importance of recognizing the community aspect of social networking, stressing to "get involved" and being active.
He blasts several lowly techniques people use to promote themselves without adding to the community, such as friending people regardless of commonalities. He goes on to stress the importance of interacting with and promoting other people's content and becoming a noticeable positive influx into the social networking community. He says that it becomes easier to 'slip in' your personal content, as you are now respected and viewed positively within the community.
Tags: Personal promotion, online presence, e-marketing, effective social networking
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Article Title: Top 10 Internet Advertising Mistakes
Article Source: Small Business Advice and Resources from Allbusiness.com solutions from AllBusiness.com
Article Author: Unknown
Reviewed by: Matthew Stollmeyer
This article eloquently discusses several online no-nos we have touched upon in class and ads a number of other significant mistakes many people overlook. According to the article, the biggest mistake is "wasting money" whereby businesses are not using revelant statistical analytics to digest data regarding hits and purchases. Paying for pop ups and spamming are also cited as annoying a user, transforming any potential of a transaction into pure frustration. Pop ups and spam are famously hated online, and employing those strategies are seriously detrimental to a business. As a business, do not overpay copyrighters, many younger copywriters are less expensive than veterans, and often hungry to build a portfolio. Do not attempt to bog your advertisements with heavy flash and complicated animations especially if at the cost of substance. Providing links for interested browsers to view more and using different themes is often not done, impeding both follow up and interest. The article ends with 'Poor Placement', stressing the importance of hosting your ad in relevant networks likely to be viewed by people with tendencies most likely to view your product in a positive and wishful light, increasing the chances of purchase.